A Not So Ordinary Life
by Calcifer1934
Summary: Two years after the marriage of Sophie and Howl, and life is crazy as ever. Things aren't helped when a shocking surprise comes along - and to make things worse, a manticore is in on it.   Based on the BOOK by Diana Wynne Jones, not just the movie!
1. Chapter 1: Frustration

Chapter One: Frustration

It was a Saturday morning towards the end of April, and the town of Market Chipping was positively bustling. The clean brick streets were clogged with people going about their business. Most were rich couples promenading in the cool morning air, shopping greedily for May Day goods.

A particular flower shop near the town's prosperous center was exceptionally busy. Young ladies, old ladies, and wives were clogged at its entrance, shuffling forward into the shop. A group of young girls were gathered outside its front window, peering inside while giggling loudly.

"Oh, I wonder if Mr. Jenkins is in!" one cried.

Inside the shop, a young woman with red-gold hair rolled her eyes before she turned to yet another customer. _Those girls, _she thought as she listened attentively to the woman's requests, _have been here every day this week. And not once has Howl shown himself. You'd think they'd learn._

"Just one sight of him and I'll faint!" exclaimed another of the group. "I've heard his beauty is simply blinding!" This was followed by a chorus of laughter and breathless agreements.

Sophie Pendragon, formerly Hatter, rolled her eyes once more. "Well, _that _is something I shan't tell Howl. It would inflate his head even further," she muttered under her breath as she led the woman to a display of pink roses.

Sophie nodded as the lady thanked her. She tore her eyes from the giggling girls at the window and located Michael at the counter. He looked stressed and busy as he packaged bouquets and nodded along at a customer's endless commentary.

She stepped up next to him. "We need Howl," she muttered. "I can't help all of these customers by myself."

"He'll just make the place more crowded," Michael replied. "But you're right."

Sophie nodded. "I'll fetch him. I do hope he isn't still asleep."

"Good luck," Michael called as Sophie made her way out of the shop, into the parlor of her home. Her hand brushed the multicolored knob of the moving castle's entrance as she closed the door. The room was entirely silent.

Suspecting the worst, Sophie headed directly up the stairs to the room she and Howl shared. Sure enough, he was still sacked out, his limbs twisted in the sheets. An arm hung over the edge of the bed, and his mouth was wide open in sleep.

Sophie rolled her eyes and stomped over to him. Her side of the bed was neatly made already, as she had woken at the crack of dawn to make time to gather flowers from the vast meadow in the Waste.

"Howl," she said, nudging him gently. He made no response.

"Howl!" she repeated. He remained silent and asleep as ever.

Sophie huffed a sigh of frustration. She gazed upon her slumbering husband, willing him to wake on his own. She absentmindedly brushed a lock of golden hair out of his face, her fingers grazing the soft skin of his face.

At her touch, the man's eyes opened, a dazzling smile spreading across his face.

"Hello, Sophie!" he said brightly, not sounding tired in the least bit.

Sophie, on the other hand, was not in the mood to put up with his cheer. "Have you never given a single thought toward the flower shop? It's nearly May Day and it's positively packed! While you've been sleeping your life away, Michael and I have been working our hats off!"

The sunny grin disappeared from Howl's face. "And?"

Sophie clenched her teeth. "_And_, Howl, we need you to help out at the shop."

"A wizard like me, selling flowers?" he said haughtily. "Unheard of!"

Sophie rolled her eyes at him. "Why do I even bother…? Anyway, you're coming to work whether you like it or not. I'll see to that, mark my words. I won't have you… "

But Sophie could not finish her statement, Howl having sat up suddenly and captured her lips with his. He pulled away momentarily, smiling once again.

"I'll be right down!" he said, grinning as Sophie stared at him in surprise.

"You had better," she said sternly, though inside she was losing grip on her frustration with Howl after the kiss.

Sophie ducked out of the room, hoping Howl would be true to his word. Behind her, Howl was scrambling for a suit, humming to himself.

_Well, _thought Sophie, rather grumpily, _This is sure to be an eventful day._

_

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_

**Hello, anyone and everyone reading this!**

**Well, this is (obviously) chapter one for my story, A Not So Ordinary Life.**

**I DEFINITELY plan on finishing this one, so look forward to more chapters! (Oh, and as much fluff as I can fit in!)**

**I hope it's not terrible - To phrase that in a different way, I hope you enjoyed it :)**

**Reviews & such greatly appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2: Martha Pays a Visit

Chapter Two: Martha Pays a Visit

Almost half an hour after Sophie had woken Howl, he swept into the bustling shop, shooting everyone present a winning grin. Sophie shook her head at him, though inwardly she was thankful he had come.

"Told you I'd come," he said to her, his glassy green eyes shining.

Sophie said nothing in response. Howl flitted away, swept up in the sea of customers vying for his attention.

"Mr. Jenkins, which flowers go best with my dress?"

"I need help choosing which color rose to buy!"

"Mr. Jenkins, would you rather have daisies or tulips?"

Sophie clenched and unclenched her teeth as Howl answered the women graciously, sending most of them into uncontrolled fits of giggles. _If the man would just learn some self-respect… _she thought stormily.

"Sophie!"

She was torn from her inner grumbling as her sister Martha squeezed her way through the crowd to her. This was especially hard because Martha's belly was swollen with child, as it had been for nearly six months.

Sophie rushed forward, a smile rising to her face at the sight of her beloved sister. "Martha!" she cried, embracing her. "How nice of you to pay us a visit! As you can see, though, it's a bit busy here."

Martha laughed. "Oh, it's nothing I'm not accustomed to at Cesari's."

"Right," said Sophie. "Oh—why aren't you working? Certainly they're open?"

Martha nodded. "Yes, but Mrs. Cesari told me to take the day off. We're so busy that it might be harmful for the baby." She absentmindedly was rubbing her stomach as she spoke. Sophie noticed this, smiling to herself.

"Well, that's good," she said. "I suppose you'll want to see Michael."

Martha nodded, already peering past Sophie in search of her own husband.

"He's at the counter, Martha," Sophie said, and Martha was bustling off without a word. Upon seeing her, Michael grinned from ear to ear as she came to stand beside him. Somehow Michael was now serving customers and speaking with her at the same time.

Without her notice, Howl had sidled up beside Sophie.

"Ah, young love," he said dreamily, gazing in mock-admiration of the couple. "So pure and simple."

Sophie elbowed him in the ribs, though gently. "They're married, for heaven's sakes. And with a baby on the way. Nothing simple about that."

Howl chuckled. "But can't you just feel the romance about them?" He sighed like a smitten schoolgirl, and Sophie had to restrain herself from gagging.

"Whatever you say, Howl," she muttered as she stepped away from her foolish husband.

"And when they look in each other's eyes, can't you feel it?" he continued, following her with light steps. "It's like time has stopped, and they're the only ones in the whole world!"

Sophie rolled her eyes.

"That's what it feels like when I look in your eyes, Sophie," he said softly from behind her, taking her hand in his.

Sophie blushed deeply, not turning to face him. "That…I…" she mumbled, her mind desperately searching for something to say. Even after being married to him for a little over a year, his bursts of tenderness and flattery still surprised her.

Intuitively, she sensed Howl's broad grin. "You don't have to say a thing, love," he said. "I just thought I'd let you know."

Sophie turned around, still scrambling for a response. Her cheeks were still a bright pink, the color intensifying as she met Howl's eyes.

"You…" she said, but trailed off as she noticed the group of girls weaving their way through the shop. She suppressed a grimace and released Howl's hand. He looked at her in confusion before turning to follow her gaze.

The leading girl, a teenager with curly dark hair squealed upon noticing Howl's eyes upon her.

They approached him slowly. Sophie pretended not to pay attention to them, swallowing her annoyance with them.

"Mr. Jenkins?"

Sophie nearly forced the girls out of the shop at that moment. The girl's voice was impossibly high and girlish, laced through with obvious attempts at sounding sultry and—though Sophie shuddered to think of it—seductive.

"What can I do for you ladies?" Howl said warmly.

They all giggled frantically.

"Um, I need some help," the girl said. "I can't decide which flowers go best with my eyes. Do you think you could make the decision for me?"

Sophie made to leave, unwilling to hear any more giggles. And also, though she hated to admit it, a growing feeling of jealousy was settled in her chest. The girls were young and obviously infatuated with him – of course Howl would do whatever they asked of him. Though he had ceased from breaking other girls' hearts since being with Sophie, she had always feared that he would resort to the old ways.

Besides, the girls—though Sophie hated to admit it—were all very pretty. The sometimes rather simple-minded Howl would not be able to resist them. And what could Sophie do about that? She was no great beauty, after all.

"As much as I'd love to help you girls out," Howl said, "I'm afraid I'm not suitable for choosing flowers. I'm sure I'd give you the wrong types. However, my wife should be able to assist you wonderfully."

Sophie turned around, suppressing her shock. Howl was refusing them? Impossible! She walked up beside him, ignoring the scrutinizing gazes of the girls.

"Hello, Sophie," he said amiably. "These girls need some help picking out flowers."

"Well, okay," she said. "I'll do my best. Which flowers do you like?"

The lead girl met Sophie's eyes with a cold stare. "Oh. Never mind. I don't need any flowers, thank you. I don't have any money, anyways."

She turned away, her friends following her after glaring at Sophie, who returned their gazes with a defiant stare of her own.

"Married?" one of them said, loudly enough so that Sophie could hear.

"I know, I know. And to someone like _her. _I bet she blackmailed him into it."

Snickers followed this, along with another stinging comment. "I mean, she isn't even pretty. She's so plain. Poor man."

Sophie looked to the floor. Though the same thing seemed to happen constantly, Sophie was always left feeling less than human and on the verge of tears. This time for some reason Sophie felt even worse. Tears slipped from her eyes and slid down her cheeks as she focused on the cracks in the floorboards.

"Sophie," Howl whispered, taking her hand again. "Don't listen to them."

She looked up to him, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I know," she said. "I've got to stop letting them get to me."

He smiled at her. "That's the spirit. You don't need to pay attention to what silly girls say. They're entirely wrong, Sophie—you're beautiful."

She colored again as Martha approached.

"You seem to have quite a lot on your hands," she said. "Why don't you take a break, Sophie? We could have lunch together."

Sophie nodded immediately. "That sounds lovely!"

Howl's eyes widened at her sudden mood change. Before he could even say goodbye, she and Martha were out the door.

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**Woohoo, on to Chapter 2! I hope _someone _at least was looking forward to it (besides me, of course!)**

**Well, my plan for this is to post a chapter every Tuesday, Thursday, & Sunday. Of course, though, I probably won't always be able to do that.**

**Once again, thanks for reading & I hope thou hast enjoyed this installment of A Not So Ordinary Life.**

**Oh, and by the way, reviews are the key to a girl's heart *nudge nudge***


	3. Chapter 3: Unexpected News

Chapter Three: Unexpected News

"You know, I fancy some cucumber soup," said Sophie.

Martha looked at her strangely. "Cucumber soup? I don't think we can get any of that here, Sophie. Hammich's café is open, though."

Sophie sighed. "All right."

Martha peered at her. "Having a rough day?"

Sophie shrugged her shoulders. "Actually, it's rather ordinary."

Martha chuckled. "Well, I'm sure you must have realized how difficult a life with Howl would be."

She nodded. "Oh, I'm well aware."

They silenced as a large, rattling carriage passed them, leaving behind a trail of brick dust. Everyone on the street ducked to the buildings along it, certainly not wanting to fall in its path. Sophie and Martha had backed into the shade of a shop's awning.

"The nerve of some people," Sophie huffed. "Honestly, it's much easier to walk."

Martha nodded. "It's probably some nobleman to visit the Mayor."

Sophie rolled her eyes as they stepped back into the street and continued on their way to Hammich's café. She was still quite startled from the unexpected carriage, and also a bit angry. _They could have hurt someone, _she thought. _With so many people on the streets today, it's not safe to go so fast._

"Sophie?" said Martha. "Have you heard any news of Lettie?"

Sophie perked up at the mention of her sister, who was studying in Kingsbury as the Wizard Suliman's apprentice. "Oh, yes! She wrote me a few days ago. Lettie seems to love it there, from what I can tell. Suliman says she's a very promising apprentice."

"That's wonderful!" exclaimed Martha. "I do feel bad for Mrs. Fairfax, though. She's all alone now."

Sophie nodded along as Martha talked, but her mind had already drifted back to the flower shop. Was it all right without her? What if Howl had disappeared inside the castle once she'd gone? With a flash of annoyance, she pictured Howl asleep on his bed again, a smirk plastered on his face.

"That _lout_!" she exclaimed.

Martha looked at her as if she'd sprouted wings. "Excuse me? Did I say something wrong, Sophie?"

Sophie looked around, realizing she was in fact still with Martha, and that she had only been imagining Howl falling asleep again.

"Botheration," she muttered at herself. "Sorry, Martha, my mind wandered. What was it that you were saying?"

This time she would not allow herself to think of the flower shop; it was out of her control. She focused solely on Martha, listening as she described letters from Lettie and stories of her and Michael's marriage. It went without saying that it was a great deal less dramatic than Sophie and Howl's.

They came to Hammich's a few moments later, as Martha was describing their preparations for the baby. It was a small place at the corner of a street, filled with round yellow tables and potted plants.

They made their way inside the café, squeezing between tables at which sat various inhabitants of Market Chipping. At the counter, Sophie and Martha ordered, respectively, a cup of chowder and a chicken sandwich.

They took a seat at an empty table towards the back of the shop.

"You know, Michael has seemed pretty stressed lately," remarked Sophie.

Martha's eyes were immediately on Sophie's. "Stressed? Why?"

"Well, he has a lot of work to do, after all," she answered, hoping Martha wouldn't grow hysterical on her. "He has to balance the flower shop, working as Howl's apprentice, and preparing for a baby all at once."

"I do hope he's all right!" Martha exclaimed. "He hasn't talked of being stressed to me!"

Sophie reached out a hand and patted Martha's shoulder sympathetically. "Don't worry, Martha. I'm sure he just doesn't want to make you more concerned than you already are. If you stress yourself out with his worries, it could be bad for the baby."

Martha sighed. "You're right, Sophie. I shouldn't get so terribly worried over things. What would I do without such a good sister? You're like a mother to me, sometimes."

Sophie smiled. "Oh, don't say such things. You'll make me feel like an old woman again."

Martha watched her, thinking. "Sophie," she asked, "Do you and Howl have any plans for children?"

Sophie nearly choked. "C-children?" she sputtered. "I can't imagine—Children, really?"

Martha positively beamed at Sophie in amusement. "Don't you want a family?"

"Well—I—I suppose…" she said. "But, really… Howl as a father?"

Martha shrugged. "You may be surprised."

Sophie shook her head slowly. "I might, but what if…? It might just drive me mad."

But even as Sophie spoke, pictures were filling her head. A nursery in the castle…A baby playing peek-a-boo with Calcifer…A child propped on Howl's lap… A strong surge of desire swept through Sophie. Maybe a child wouldn't be so terrible…

"Oh, isn't May Day the day you and Howl first met?" Martha asked, sweeping Sophie away from her imagination.

Sophie nodded. "That's true—I'd almost forgotten. Just to think of it makes me feel so odd. I was terrified of him, just terrified! My past self would die of shock to know that I was beholding my future husband!"

Martha laughed. "It is awfully romantic, though, don't you think? He saved you, right?"

She shrugged. "Yes," she admitted grudgingly. "But he still gave me such a fright!"

"And here we are now, both married women…" mused Martha. "If I am correct, you were on your way to meet _me _that day! Oh, to think that I brought you two together!" Martha clasped Sophie's hands delightedly, lost in her realization.

Sophie rolled her eyes once Martha wasn't looking. "Well, I suppose you did," she said, resisting the urge to snap that Martha really had nothing to do with it.

"Someone's awfully moody today," said Martha, sounding a bit insulted. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Martha," she replied. "My moods have been a bit off lately, that's all."

Her sister peered at her oddly. "Have they? Sophie, around the time I found I was pregnant I was moody as well."

"Is that so?" said Sophie, trying to sound interested. She wasn't particularly eager to hear more of Martha's stories, no matter how much she adored her youngest sister.

Martha nodded. "You might want to get yourself checked, Sophie."

"Checked? For what?"

"Didn't you understand what I meant? I was moody in the early days of my pregnancy, as are you."

"So?" Sophie's brain would simply not make whatever connection Martha's had.

Martha rolled her eyes, an odd thing for such a patient and kind person. "Sophie," she said slowly, "I think you may be pregnant."

The pieces of the puzzle came together then, leaving Sophie utterly dumbfounded. "Pregnant? That's impossible! You simply can't just think I am because I'm moody!"

Martha shrugged. "I'm just offering a theory. You should take me seriously, though, Sophie. I've really got your best interests at heart."

"I know, Martha," said Sophie, squeezing her hand gently. "It's just… I can't imagine it! And what if it's true?"

"We don't know if it is," answered Martha. "We'll have to have someone cast the spell to check. How about old Mrs. Fairfax? She was the one I went to."

"All right," Sophie said, nodding. "And if I _am _pregnant?"

"Then," said Martha good-naturedly, "You'll have to prepare for a family."

Realization dawned on Sophie then, a question brought to the front of her mind.

"What'll I tell Howl?"

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**Hi there. **

**So, either I'm insane or totally right, but I feel like this chapter was kinda bad. **

**Maybe it's the lack of Howl. Because, after all, Howl makes everything better!**

**Worry not! Howl will be back next chapter, probably.**

**Also, I hope this wasn't too corny or anything. I guess making Sophie pregnant is predictable, right? **

**It's just that I recently read _House of Many Ways, _and I really wanted to write about Sophie's pregnancy with Morgan and such. **

**ANYHOW, I hope someone actually enjoyed this installment. **

**As usual, I heart reviews & such. Reviews = a piece of pie for the mind. **


	4. Chapter 4: Breaking the News

**An Important Author's Note**

**Um. Hi. **

**Something has come to my attention lately. **

**Unfortunately, I have not yet read Castle in the Air. In this book I have realized it covers Morgan's birth & a bit of Sophie's pregnancy.**

**Whoops. **

**Well, there's not much I can do about that. Really, I just plan on doing the story as normal, and (though I hate to do this) I'm going to have to completely ignore the existence of Castle in the Air. I don't see it working out any other way.**

**PLEASE FORGIVE MY IGNORANCE!

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**

Chapter Four: Breaking the News

Sophie and Martha walked up Mrs. Fairfax's drive, Martha chatting aimlessly of how delighted she'd be if Sophie really was pregnant.

The gardens around the house were as lush and green as ever, with fat honey bees darting in and out of the flowers. The scent of honey wafted from an open window on the first floor.

Martha rang the doorbell, and barely a moment afterward, Mrs. Fairfax opened the door.

"I saw you two out the window," she explained, beckoning them inside. She led them through halls of clean tile and into a parlor. Mrs. Fairfax took a seat at a chair by the window, where a bundle of knitting had been left.

"So, Martha, Sophie," she said warmly. "It's so wonderful of you to visit! You know, since Lettie left I've been ever so lonesome…" She gave a long sigh, her eyes focused on the land outside the window.

"I'm so sorry," said Martha consolingly. "But we may have some good news!"

"What is it, dear?" asked Mrs. Fairfax eagerly. She leaned forward, and the sweet scent of honey suddenly grew more pronounced in the room.

"Well," began Martha, speaking softly as if telling a most scandalous secret, "We're not certain of it yet, but Sophie and Howl might be expecting a child!"

"How splendid!" cried Mrs. Fairfax, beaming at both of them. "I'm sure Howl is simply ecstatic about this. Er…Where is he, exactly?" She peered past the pair of them, as if expecting to see Howl lurking in the shadows.

"Um…He doesn't know anything yet," said Sophie awkwardly, not wanting to burst the bubble of Mrs. Fairfax's happiness at the news.

"Sophie wants to check if she truly _is_ pregnant, like you did for me," interjected Martha before Mrs. Fairfax could say anything. The woman's face, which just a moment before had been falling, burst once again into a delighted smile.

"Oh, I'd simply _love _to!" exclaimed Mrs. Fairfax. "Let me fetch my spectacles!"

With a surprising amount of energy, she leapt from the chair and shuffled to an ornate, ancient-looking writing desk. She searched through it for a moment before removing an object from its topmost drawer.

As she returned to her chair, she polished the glasses with her sleeve, peering briefly through the green and blue-tinted lenses. When she sat down, she put the spectacles on and looked directly at Sophie.

For a few moments, her expression was blank, inquisitive. Then, in the blink of an eye, the woman's face lit up like a candle in the night. Sophie knew what she was going to say before Mrs. Fairfax even opened her mouth.

"Congratulations, Sophie!" she said brightly, removing the glasses. Sophie smiled weakly back at her as Martha practically tackled her in a hug.

"B-but…How can you tell?" Sophie asked breathlessly, seeing as Martha was nearly squeezing the life out of her.

Mrs. Fairfax tapped the glasses, a mysterious glint in her eyes. "Aura-detectors, they are," she replied. "You're pregnant, dear, so there are two separate auras on you."

Sophie nodded, realizing that she must be right. "Well, then…"

"This is so great, Sophie!" exclaimed Martha. "I'll be an aunt!"

Mrs. Fairfax watched them, smiling. She stood up, brushing a piece of butter-colored hair from her face. "I'm glad I could help you two," she said.

"Yes, thank you very much," said Sophie. They began to walk out of the house, Mrs. Fairfax stopping along the way to get a jar of her own homemade honey.

"It's good for you, dear," she insisted, pushing it into Sophie's arms.

"Oh, it really is!" cried Martha, quite as enthusiastic as Mrs. Fairfax. "I use it in almost all my cooking! Then again, I do work at Cesari's!" The two women erupted into laughter.

Sophie, however was feeling quite overwhelmed. _So I really am pregnant, _she thought slowly, letting it sink in. Undoubtedly, she was happy, but also worried. _So many things can go wrong… And there are so many people to tell!_

The door shut behind them after jolly good-byes, leaving Sophie feeling completely and utterly as if another layer of complication had been added to her life.

Sophie and Martha parted ways once they reached the flower shop. Martha wished her an excited good luck as Sophie stepped back inside the building.

The shop was considerably less crowded than before, and almost all of the morning's flowers were gone. Michael was at the counter, speaking with a rich-looking customer. He breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Sophie return.

As the woman paid and walked away, a bundle of daisies in her arms, Sophie approached Michael.

"Where's Howl?" she asked, noticing his absence. Had her worst fears been correct? Was that fool _really _back in bed?

"He's in the castle, working on a spell," he answered, sounding a bit grumpy. "Wish he'd let _me _handle a spell for once. But no, poor little Michael's left to fend for himself in the shop."

"I'm sorry, Michael," said Sophie, feeling a twinge of guilt. "I had business to take care of. I'll speak with Howl, though. I'm certain he just wanted an excuse to get out of here."

Michael shrugged. "I guess. Anyway, I'm glad you're back. Some of these customers have had the strangest requests, and I have no clue what to do, Sophie, and…"

Sophie silenced him with her guilty expression. "I'm afraid I can't help you now, Michael," she said apologetically. "I've got to talk to Howl."

Michael sighed, looking haggard. "Go ahead," he said.

Sophie shot him another apologetic look before heading into the castle. Just as Michael had said, Howl was at his desk, working on a spell. Golden hair hung over his face as he hunched over the paper, muttering to himself.

Sophie approached him cautiously. "Howl…?"

Howl didn't turn to look at her. "I'm busy, Sophie," he said.

A flash of indignation swept through Sophie's mind. "It's important, Howl. I need you to listen to me."

"Not now," he insisted.

Sophie huffed a sigh of frustration, but stood her ground.

"Hey, Sophie," came a crackly voice from behind. She turned to see the curious eyes of Calcifer upon her.

"Come here," the demon said, beckoning her forth with a tendril of fire.

Sophie stepped grudgingly toward the fire. "Yes?"

"Howl's gotten himself a pretty difficult spell there," Calcifer said.

"I can see that," Sophie said angrily. "But I think my news is more important."

"What is it?" asked the fire demon. Sophie nearly told him it was none of his business, but she decided to tell him her news in a whisper.

Once she had told him, Calcifer eyed her warily. "A child in the castle? That's a recipe for disaster."

Sophie rolled her eyes. "I know, I know. But it's too late to do anything about that. Whether we like it or not, Howl and I are going to have a family." The words felt odd coming from her mouth, but something in them rang true. _Maybe, _thought Sophie, _I'm really coming to terms with this "family" thing. _

Calcifer eyed her before lifting two flames in a sort of a shrug. "Go tell him, then," he said, a hint of boredom already creeping into his tone. But thus was the idiosyncrasy of an ancient fire demon, as Sophie well knew. It took a lot to excite Calcifer.

Sophie nodded. "Right. I will." She stepped back over to Howl, who was still perusing the spell, his nose almost touching the paper.

Sophie cleared her throat. "Howl," she said firmly. "I've something important to tell you, so you must listen."

He made no response but to shift a little in his seat.

"Howl!" Sophie said sharply, losing patience.

"I'm listening, I'm listening," he said without looking at her.

"Look at me, Howl!" she insisted. "This is big news."

Finally he conceded, turning to stare straight at Sophie. He looked cross; perhaps due to the obviously difficult spell set before him. _Well,_ thought Sophie so as not to feel guilty, _that will simply have to wait. _Howl's hair was disheveled for once, giving him a rather lopsided appearance.

"Yes, what is it?" he asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"If you're giving me such an attitude, maybe I won't tell you," Sophie retorted indignantly. Howl sighed.

"Please don't play games with me, Sophie," he said tiredly. "I've already got a load on my shoulders. Just tell me what news you have." He reached out and took her hand, lacing his fingers through hers.

_Here goes, _thought Sophie.

"Howl," she said, "I'm pregnant."

He stared blankly at her for a moment as her words sunk in. Then, with a flash from his bright red suit, he leapt up and kissed her full on the mouth.

"Pregnant?" he asked, grinning broadly from ear to ear. "That's—that's wonderful! Positively spectacular!"

In the blink of an eye, he was dashing around the room like a whirlwind of red. Howl's joy seemed to be getting the best of him—small lights and fireworks were bursting in his wake, a myriad of jolly colors.

Sophie watched incredulously as he practically skipped out the door into the courtyard, still trailing bursts of color and light. He threw open the door to the flower shop, doubtlessly startling the remaining customers.

From where she stood, Sophie thought she heard Howl erupt into the saucepan song Calcifer sang occasionally. She turned back to the fire demon, who looked supremely amused.

"Quite an affair, don't you think?" he said snidely.

Sophie just shook her head in astonishment as she found herself utterly lost for words.

A moment later Howl dashed back into the castle. He pranced around for a moment before coming to stand before Sophie. He looked as though he would kiss her again, but something stopped him.

"Wait," he said, holding up a slim finger as true realization dawned on his face.

And, with that, Howl turned on his heel and disappeared upstairs.

* * *

**Hi again! Is it just me, or are my chapters getting longer? Huh.**

**Well, I posted this on Monday simply because I REALLY wanted to write! So, you're welcome? Maybe?**

**I really like this chapter :3**

**Especially Howl's reaction at the end. It's quite Howl-ish, if I do say so myself.**

**Hope you enjoyed. Next chapter tomorrow(?) or Wednesday. **

**As usual, I am quite fond of reviews!**


	5. Chapter 5: A Warning

Chapter Five: A Warning

Two hours had passed, and still Howl remained upstairs. Sophie had busied herself by tidying up Howl's desk, resisting the urge to drag him back downstairs. She carefully avoided the spell itself, but couldn't help peering at it.

The spell paper was written in a language entirely unknown to Sophie. _Hmm…_ she thought. _This would probably explain why he's so frustrated. I'd better go see him._

Sophie sighed as she trooped up the stairs. She knocked briefly on the door before turning the knob. "I'm coming in, Howl," she called.

As usual, their room was in complete disarray. Sophie's side—which took up only a small space—was neat and tidy, while Howl's was messy almost to the point of being repulsive.

The wizard himself was in a bundle of blankets and quilts, sitting on the bed. Sophie stepped into the room, glancing around for any trace of the sickly green slime that usually indicated one of Howl's dramatic tantrums. Needless to say, Sophie had gotten quite a lot of experience cleaning it up over the years. To her immense relief, there was no slime to be found.

"Howl?" she said, stepping over to him. She had to carefully avoid the various knickknacks scattered across the floor; one wrong step and she would have a mouth full of carpet. Of course, that was not to be desired.

Howl looked up at her. "Yes?"

"Are you alright?" was the only thing she could think to begin with.

He nodded. "Oh, yes. I'm quite fine, actually. Just going through a mid-life crisis here, that's all."

Sophie shot him a skeptical look as she sat beside him on the bed. "Mid-life crisis?" she repeated.

Howl nodded. "Right. Mid-life crisis. Now, bring me some knitting, would you?"

Sophie rolled her eyes. "You are _not _having a mid-life crisis, Howl. Now, get up."

She stood up, taking hold of the quilt wrapped around her sulking husband. She tugged gently, not expecting him to relinquish his hold. To her surprise, he let go. Sophie was left holding the blanket, staring down at him.

"Howl," she said softly. "There's no need for you to be so dramatic, dear. Are you really so concerned about this?"

Howl sighed theatrically but said nothing.

"We'll get through this together," she said, taking his hand. "No worries."

"But Sophie, a wizard's children are always being targeted. I don't want to put anyone in danger."

"We'll be just fine," insisted Sophie, trying to feel as confident as she sounded. Did Howl actually have a point here?

Howl shook his head. "I'm a coward, Sophie; I can't face this."

Sophie had to suppress the urge to roll her eyes. _Enough with the "coward" excuse!_

"If you're a coward, I'm a coward," said Sophie, struggling not to reveal her growing exasperation. "And if that's the case, then we two cowards will just have to find a way to get by."

Sophie stood up then, and left, leaving behind a dumbstruck Howl.

...

The next morning, Sophie woke bright and early—as usual—to pick flowers from the meadow in the Waste.

As she was about to leave the castle, basket in hand, a crackly voice piped up behind her.

"I wouldn't go out this morning if I were you."

Sophie turned. "Why?"

"There's something out there, in the Waste," answered Calcifer. There was a hint of concern in the fire demon's voice, which was enough to slightly unnerve Sophie. "Something strong."

"How close is it?" she asked.

The fire demon frowned. "Not very. It's a little past the edge of the meadows."

"I'll be fine, Calcifer."

"It could come in closer, though."

"I promise I'll stay close to the castle," Sophie said earnestly. Calcifer began to say something else, but she was already out the door.

The early morning's cool air was already being invaded by the dry heat of the Waste. Sophie peered over the rows and rows of blossoming plants, toward the edge of the green expanse. She could see nothing even remotely suspicious.

So, she began the usual routine of gathering flowers. Sophie soon lost track of reality as she made her way through the aisles of plants. The bright sun, the sweet scent of the flowers, and the lazy buzzing of the many bees around her lulled her into a sort of dream-state, so that she no longer paid heed to how close she was to the castle.

Suddenly a loud noise came from behind her, and Sophie was jolted back into alertness. She whirled around at the sound, startled. To her surprise, the castle was yards and yards away.

"Did Calcifer move it without my notice?" she wondered aloud. However, Sophie already knew the answer to her question. Without realizing it, she had wandered farther away from the castle than planned. She looked behind her and, to her dismay, realized the towering brown hills of the Waste were almost upon her.

_How did this happen? _

She could not dwell on this thought for very long, though, for at that moment something monstrous stepped out from a practically overgrown hyacinth bush ahead.

At first glimpse, the creature looked to be a centaur or sorts, with the head of a man. But as Sophie continued to stare in awe at it, she realized that what she beheld was something she'd never even conceived in her worst nightmare.

The beast had the lithe, muscled body of a lion and an enormous tail – of a scorpion. Sophie's eyes traveled to the stinger, which looked sharp as an assassin's dagger, and twice as deadly. Though she'd never seen a scorpion before, she was well aware of the stinger's venomous properties. And, from the look of it, just a touch from this one would be more than deadly.

The creature's body was covered in golden fur, muscles rippling beneath its skin. Its paws were larger than even the most large, dramatic hat Sophie had ever made. They looked as if they could crush her in a heartbeat. The claws attached to these paws, however, were considerably more terrifying. Long and the color of the blackest night, they looked nearly as sharp as the creature's stinger, and probably quite as lethal.

Its head, though, was eerie rather than outright frightening. Where one would expect the face of a lion there was a human's face, framed with a lion's sun-orange mane. The face, however, was not entirely that of a man's. The skin was snow white, and its eyes were the color of freshly spilled blood.

It was quite possibly the most frightening thing Sophie had ever seen – and that was saying a lot. Just looking at the beast sent a cold shiver through her entire system. Its blood-red eyes shone with the hatred of a thousand armies and the intensity of a dying sun. It was enough to make her lose all traces of her previous state of tranquility. The cool air of the morning had blown away like a kite in a hurricane. Now the desert sun of the Waste beat down on them, the light glinting off the creature's golden coat.

"Sophie Pendragon." The monster's mouth opened as it spoke, revealing razor-sharp teeth.

She took a deep breath, resisting the almost overwhelming urge to scream. _Now, now, Sophie, _she told herself, _It's not unusual for creatures to talk. This is nothing new. Nothing new at all…_

Finally, she mustered up the strength to speak. "What are you, and what do you want?"

"I? I am the greatest manticore this sad world has ever seen." Its tone was boastful, a cross between a growl and a hiss. As it spoke, Sophie was attempting to tear her eyes from its dagger-like teeth. But where else could she look? She was even less willing to look in its eyes.

"A manticore, eh?" she said, trying to keep her tone casual.

The creature nodded. "The only one in all of the Waste. But I have come because of the wizard."

"Howl?"

"No. His son."

Sophie's hands immediately went to her stomach. She instinctively felt wildly protective of her unborn child.

"What do you want with…him?"

Sophie felt briefly puzzled. Could it possibly be that the manticore knew the baby's gender?

"It is, and always has been, a manticore's job to control and adjust the magical population of this world," it growled in response.

"What's that supposed to mean?" snapped Sophie, though a growing suspicion had already nestled itself in her bosom.

"The wizard in your womb is in violation of the magical limits set ages ago. He must be eliminated after his birth."

Sophie's heart sank like a stone only to be replaced with a ball of fiery anger.

"No he _won't_! I will not have you coming here, telling me that my unborn son will have to die!" she cried angrily. "As far as I see it, having a limit on wizards is preposterous!"

The manticore remained emotionless. "Think what you must, but rules must be obeyed. Before you conceived this child, perhaps you should have considered this."

"Before I even—!" sputtered an enraged Sophie. "That's ridiculous!"

"I'm afraid I can do nothing about this," said the beast. "Rules are rules. I'm only here to deliver the warning." Its voice took on a snide tone, as if the creature enjoyed infuriating Sophie.

"Isn't this negotiable? Is there any way I can stop this?"

The manticore paused. "Well…"

"What is it?" exclaimed Sophie.

The monster's mouth took on a fearsome smirk. "Answer my riddle, and your child can go free. Will you accept my offer?"

"A riddle?" she asked. "Well… All right." She nodded. "I accept."

The manticore spoke slowly, in a hushed voice.

_My step is slow, the snow's my breath_

_I give the ground a grinding death_

_My marching makes an end to me, _

_Slain by sun or drowned in sea._

Once it had finished, the manticore gazed upon Sophie with its scarlet eyes. "I will return at the year's first snowfall. If you do not have an answer for me, your son will die."

And, in the blink of an eye, the manticore disappeared in a cloud of what appeared to be sand. Sophie was left staring at where it had once been, wondering how in the world she'd be able to save her son.

* * *

**Hello and welcome to...Chapter Five! WHOA, AMAZING!**

**SO, here's where the REAL drama starts. First we have Howl, being dramatic and "cowardly" as ever. Then we've got the lovely Mr. Manticore, who is threatening to kill (and devour, though he doesn't say so) Sophie's baby. Yeah, manticores eat people. Sad, I know. **

**I've wanted to use a manticore in a story for a while, ever since I came across the term in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. (Yay for Harry Potter nerdiness!)**

**Manticores are ALMOST as awesome as Lethifolds :3**

**Anyway, I hope the riddle isn't too obvious or anything. It was this one or one from the Hobbit. Yeah...**

**Also, I'm planning on reading Castle in the Air next, so I won't be so ignorant. I've read the important (Howl & Sophie related) parts, so I've pretty much got it figured out how to fit this story into that plot. Which, might I add, is a HUGE relief.**

**Oh, & might I add that we all take a moment of silence for Diana Wynne Jones? She passed away a few days ago, so I'm pretty heartbroken. **

**Anyway, sad things aside, I hope you enjoyed! Remember - me gusta reviews :D**


	6. Chapter 6: Distractions

Chapter Six: Distractions

Sophie practically sprinted back to the castle once she recovered her senses after the manticore's visit. Her mind was racing, reeling for valid thoughts.

By the time she threw open the castle doors, she was panting and wheezing with exertion. Her heart pounded frantically, straining at the boundaries of her chest. Sophie felt almost the same as she had when she was a 90-year-old woman.

She wanted to lie down, wanted to stop for a moment to get her thoughts straight.

But as she stumbled towards the stairs, Howl burst out of the bathroom in a cloud of fragrant, white steam. He looked impeccable, face flushed with youth and not a hair out of place. Sophie wondered briefly if this was really the same Howl that had asked her to get him some knitting the day before.

His glassy eyes shone as a dazzling smile burst across his face at the sight of Sophie.

She, however, was not entirely pleased to see _him_. The last thing she wanted was to be forced into telling Howl what had happened. He'd blow it through the roof, undoubtedly.

"Sophie!" he cried jubilantly, darting forward and brushing a stray hair out of her face. She was forced to suppress a grimace.

"Hello, Howl," she said.

"Are you ready for another _beautiful _day, my dear?" he asked brightly.

Sophie groaned inwardly. _Beautiful day, my hat!_

Howl must have noticed the brief grimace on her face, for at once his smile vanished, replaced with a look of immense concern.

"Sophie?" he asked urgently, eyes darting over her in search of what was amiss. "Is everything all right?"

She nodded. "Of course," she said in a strained voice. To her dismay, he wasn't convinced.

"No, you're not," he contradicted. "Really, what is it? Morning sickness? Do I need to get a bucket?" He made as if to head back into the bathroom, but Sophie stopped him.

"No, Howl, it isn't that," she insisted.

He turned back to her, looking strained.

"Then tell me what it is!" he exclaimed. "I can't simply… Wait—Sophie, where are today's flowers? Did something happen out there?"

"It's nothing for you to worry about!" Sophie said frantically, wishing she hadn't left the basket outside. "I told you—!"

Suddenly a loud knock came on the door. Sophie and Howl both looked to Calcifer in the fireplace, who had – Sophie now realized – been listening to the entire conversation.

"It's the mansion door," the fire demon said. "Sophie, you're not gonna like this."

With a growing feeling of dread, Sophie approached the door. She turned the knob so that the orange blob of paint was facing down, and then opened the door.

Sophie nearly fainted with relief. It was only Fanny, looking luxurious as ever. Today she adorned a large plumed had the color of ripe tomatoes, and a flowing gown to match.

"Sophie!" she exclaimed, enveloping her in a huge embrace. The silk of Fanny's dress crushed against Sophie, and a feather of the elaborate hat brushed at her nose. Sophie nearly sneezed.

"Hello, Mother," she said breathlessly.

Fanny released Sophie and bustled past her to the fireplace.

"You still have a fire going?" she asked incredulously. "My word! Sophie, darling, you'll burn to a crisp if you keep this up! Why don't I dowse it for you?"

Sophie blanched at the suggestion, but thankfully Fanny's back was to her. "No, no, that's all right," she said quickly. "I get the chills easily, is all."

Behind her, Sophie swore she heard Howl snicker. Thankfully, Calcifer kept quiet.

"And, _oh_, this desk!" Fanny cried, still carrying out her assessment of the castle. Ever since she had found Sophie living there, she had made it her personal mission to "improve" its conditions.

Fanny looked dangerously close to picking up the spell, which was still lying on the desk. Before she could, however, Howl swept up beside her and snatched up the parchment.

Fanny looked up at him, an expression of disdain upon her face. It was no secret that Fanny was no fan of Howl's. After all, he had been the one to "steal away"—as she put it—her hardest worker.

"Oh," she said scornfully. "I was wondering when that magician husband of yours would show himself." She stepped quickly away from Howl, leaving behind the cluttered desk.

"It's so kind of you to visit," Howl said graciously, though Sophie caught a hint of resentment in his voice. He clearly disliked Fanny quite as much as she disliked him.

"I'll get something for us to drink…" said Sophie, willing Howl and Sophie not to rip each other's throats out.

"Don't bother," said Fanny. "I won't be long here. I really just wanted to check in on you, Sophie. Just to check that no spells have backfired on you or anything." She shot a stern look at Howl. "You know I worry for you, dear."

"I can assure you that Sophie is perfectly fine here," said Howl, moving to put an arm around Sophie. "In fact, we're more than fine, because Sophie is expecting a baby."

This, if nothing else, took Fanny by surprise. She stared, mouth agape, her eyes flitting back and forth between Sophie and Howl.

"You're WHAT?" she exclaimed.

"Mother, I…" Sophie began, but Fanny was already dashing forward at her, arms outstretched.

"Sophie, I can't believe it!"

Sophie was appalled. One moment, Fanny had been on the verge of storming out, and the next she was hugging Sophie tightly.

"But… Don't you think I'm too young to be a grandmother?" Fanny asked suddenly.

Sophie didn't even bother reminding Fanny that she was only her stepmother.

"Anyway," the flustered woman said, releasing her grip on Sophie, "I must give you both my congratulations. Though I _do _disapprove of your choice for the father"—a pointed look at Howl, who grinned devilishly—"I certainly am glad for you."

She began to walk to the door. Sophie sensed her discomfort, mixed with resentment towards Howl and the slightest bit of true happiness at their news.

"But I've got things to do, people to see…" she said, hand on the doorknob. "I'm such a busy woman, you know."

She slipped out the door, shutting it with a soft click.

Fanny having left, Sophie turned to her husband, ready to explode at him for telling her of the baby before Sophie was ready. To her annoyance, though, Howl had already vanished upstairs.

"_Coward!"_ breathed Sophie vehemently.

* * *

**Yay, Chapter Six!**

**So now Fanny knows, thanks to Howl.**

**You can definitely say Sophie will have a word with him about that!**

**Anyway, thanks for all the support & such. **

**Positive or even critical reviews mean a lot, so keep on keeping on!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: The Numerous Woes of Sophie Pendragon

Sophie immediately stormed upstairs after Howl. She was positively fuming, ready to fulminate.

Briefly she entertained the idea of grabbing the bottle of deadly weed-killer and going on a rampage in Howl's room. But then she remembered Howl's room was her room as well, and abandoned the idea. And so, the weed-killer remained in the supply closet downstairs, gathering dust.

Howl had locked himself in the bathroom, as Sophie discovered after finding their bedroom devoid of life but for Howl's beloved spiders. She sighed as she approached the door.

Sophie took hold of the doorknob, determined in her mission.

"Open!" she whispered sharply, shaking it a bit. "_Open!"_

The knob was stubborn as a mule, but so was Sophie. She persistently whispered at the door, slowly working her magic into it.

At last the knob gave in to Sophie's virulent tone and relentless jostling. With a cry of triumph, she threw open the door, ready to berate Howl. The words were already gathering in her mind, nearly spilling out. Anathemas were swirling in her brain, each one vying for attention.

Her wild eyes found Howl crouched in the bathtub, staring up at her with bright, frightened eyes. He looked haggard, not at all like he had finished his beautification just an hour or so ago. A new bout of anger washed over Sophie at the sight of him.

She stepped forward into the tiny room, ignoring the usual smells of rose soap, magic, and formaldehyde. Howl seemed to shrink as she approached the tub, as if a tenebrous aura surrounded her.

"Sophie, I'm sorry!" Howl cried. His voice was high-pitched with terror.

"_Howl, how could you tell Fanny of the baby?" _Sophie cried furiously, ignoring his apology. "I wasn't ready!"

"Sophie, I had to tell her!"

She rolled her eyes. "Did you, now?" she scoffed. "Liar." The cruel words slipped from her mouth with a will of their own.

"You weren't going to tell her, anyway!" exclaimed Howl, bold anger rising into his voice.

"Maybe not!" retorted Sophie. "But maybe I was waiting for the right time!"

"The right time?" echoed Howl. "The 'right time' for you would be while you're lying in the hospital, almost giving birth!"

Sophie was red in the face by then, nearly screaming at Howl. She sharply regretted not bringing the weed-killer.

"_Someone _had to tell her, and I knew it wouldn't be you!" Howl continued, his voice rising.

"That's not true!" huffed Sophie. "I was going to tell her after she calmed down. In case you didn't notice, Howl, you two were about to rip at each other!"

"That's only because she's a foul-tempered pig!"

Sophie nearly laughed at his insolent tone.

She snorted in disbelief. "And I suppose you consider yourself to be some sort of angel, then?"

Howl nodded slowly, an innocent look upon his face. "Yes. Obviously."

Sophie rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to swat at the silly man. Her anger had subsided for the most part, replaced with a burning irritation.

"You're nowhere near angelic," Sophie said coldly, keeping her slight amusement hidden. "You're more like one of those fat cherubs."

"Like Cupid?" he asked, smirking. "I _am _quite romantic, I admit."

"I never said anything about Cupid," Sophie insisted. "You're deranged."

She was almost surprised at the way their shouting match had ended, but was reminded that this was the outcome of many a fight. Either one resulted with sparks and violent explosions of magic, or this.

"But you love me all the same," Howl said lightly, flashing a hesitant grin. She returned it grudgingly.

"And you're always willing to forgive me, right?" he asked, looking as angelic as possible.

A prickle of anger rose against Sophie's temple. "Right, right. We're still married, aren't we? If I wasn't willing to forgive you I would've left years ago." She paused. "But you're probably right – Fanny would've found out about the baby soon enough without your prompting."

Howl looked relieved, as if he had just outwitted a sphinx.

"Now get out of there, Howl," Sophie ordered, shaking her head at him. "You've already spent half the morning in here."

She was almost quite as surprised as Howl evidently was. Had she really calmed down so quickly?

Howl lifted himself out of the tub and came to stand in front of Sophie. She reached out to put his hair in order, but her hands froze in midair as she realized what she was doing.

He gave her a loving smile as he reached out to take her transfixed hand in his own. His were warm and soft **(A/N – scented lotion for Howl, anyone? I think yes!)**, the essence of comfort.

"Your mood swings are such a relief sometimes," he muttered thoughtfully.

"Are they?" questioned Sophie bemusedly.

Howl nodded. "They are, my dear. They allow me to do this…" He leaned forward and kissed her softly before continuing, "without having to worry about you cursing or mortally wounding me."

He slipped past her then, after flashing yet another of his sun-bright smiles.

Sophie, despite being dazzled by Howl's antics, had already thought of an idea of what to do next in relation to the manticore. She stepped down the stairs, planning to head straight to Calcifer, but Michael stopped her.

He rushed forward, looking worried. "Where are today's flowers?" he asked, a trace of growing hysteria in his voice. "There are angry customers in the shop… I told them to wait, that we'd have the flowers out soon. Sophie, one woman told me she'd have her husband arrest us if we didn't bring her lilies!"

Sophie, having forgotten about the shop, was almost at a loss for words. "I… I don't have them, Michael. Something came up. Just close up the shop and tell them we'll have more than the usual flowers tomorrow, and at half price, okay?"

Michael nodded glumly. "What'll I tell that woman?"

"Tell her," began Sophie, "To take her business elsewhere if she is not willing to be patient."

"But she'll call the police!" protested Michael.

Sophie waved a hand at him. "She won't, trust me. Now, go! Visit Martha, why don't you?"

Michael nodded. "Okay…" He rushed out, into the shop and away from Sophie.

As soon as he was out the door, Sophie moved to stand by Calcifer.

"You've some explaining to do, Sophie," the fire demon said immediately.

He listened attentively as Sophie recounted the encounter with the manticore and everything it had said. Once she had finished, he remained quiet but for the crackling of his flames.

"I have no idea what to do, Calcifer," Sophie admitted. "I don't have a clue how much time I have – how am I supposed to know when the first snowfall will be?"

"Quite a predicament, yes," the demon said. "Have any ideas for the riddle's answer?"

She shook her head. "Nothing came to me immediately, and I haven't had time to think it over deeply."

"Have you told Howl?"

"No… I can't, Calcifer! He'll only get depressed, or rub it in my face that he was right!"

"Right about what?"

"He told me that children of wizards are always being targeted…"

"He's right," Calcifer said. "But I have never heard of manticores taking children away. Well, not in Ingary. It's suspicious."

"Do you mean to say that someone or something besides the manticore is targeting the baby?" Sophie asked, not willing to believe what he suggested. It was preposterous! Wasn't _one _terrifying beast enough?

The fire demon nodded. "It's possible. The manticore might just be something else's factotum, or messenger."

Sophie sighed. "I was hoping you wouldn't complicate things, Calcifer. It seems my luck isn't quite right today." She moved to leave, but Calcifer stopped her.

"Don't lose hope, Sophie," he said. "I'll work on the riddle. You ought to tell Howl of this, though."

"I will, I will," Sophie agreed as she walked away. _Eventually…_

* * *

**Will Sophie ever tell Howl? Who's next to find out about Sophie's pregnancy? Will Howl slip into a diabetic coma? (I mean, what?)**

**FIND OUT NEXT TIME ON A NOT SO ORDINARY LIFE!**

**My lameness astounds me. Anyway, I like this chapter pretty well. It was fun to write about Sophie exploding at Howl.**

**Credits to Ellieandra for the little "weed-killer" idea. (Also, thanks for all the reviews - they make me laugh & are so nice!)**

**Did my wide vocabulary in this chapter surprise you? GOOD. I used up a whole bunch of words on my "To Use" list. Basically, it's a list of words I want to use in a story, if you couldn't tell that already. I hope I'm not the only one who does that...**

**Anyhow, thanks for the support and reviews, everyone!**


	8. Chapter 8: Family Issues

Chapter Eight: Family Issues

Days passed, and still Sophie could not bring herself to tell Howl of the manticore and its dire warning. She continued on in a sort of lackadaisical haze, dreading each time that she spoke with Howl that he would suddenly remember Sophie had been upset before.

Now, as she swept the halls of the castle and caught up on her cleaning, Sophie was caught up in another inner battle of "should-I-tell-Howl-or-not". On one hand, telling him would get Howl and his magic on her side, wondering along with her about the riddle. But on the other, she risked one of his tantrums, or, even worse, an "I-told-you-so."

She sighed. _Hang on, Sophie. You'll figure it out._

Calcifer had had no luck with the riddle, nor had she. She'd spent hours toiling over it, pulling the lines apart piece by piece, but to no avail. She consoled herself by insisting that she had months until the year's first snow, and that there was no need to worry. Still, by the time of the snow, she'd be rather far along in her pregnancy, and surely very attached to the child. She didn't even want to imagine her baby being taken away the moment she gave birth.

"Sophie?" Howl's head poked around the corner of the hallway.

She looked up. "Yes? Howl, what is it?"

He pranced down the hall, coming to a stop before her. He was dressed strangely, like he had the last time he and Sophie visited his old home.

"I think it's around time to tell someone else," he said. "Someone from my family."

"Oh. Your sister, then?" Sophie said, a note of distaste in her voice. If she was honest with herself, she had absolutely no desire to return to Wales. She and Howl had visited them only once after she went as an old woman, and that when they announced their marriage. Of course, Megan and her family couldn't exactly make the wedding itself…

Howl nodded. "Yeah. It won't be a long visit, I promise." Clearly, he knew just how much Sophie disliked visiting Wales and his sister. They never had gotten along much – their personalities were all too similar in some ways, and all too different in others. And besides, Megan disapproved of her, believing Howl had rushed into the marriage. She, of course, had no idea that the old woman she had met before was in fact Sophie. For all Megan knew, they could have met the day before they broke the news.

"All right," Sophie conceded. "Fair enough. What shall I wear?"

…

Half an hour later, they sat in the parlor of Megan's house, awkwardly facing each other. Megan was perched lightly on a stiff-looking chair, while Sophie and Howl were both squeezed into the floral loveseat. The doors were all shut – Megan had forced both Mari and Neil out of the way the moment she spotted Howl.

"So," Megan said tersely, "What brings you here, Howell?" Her eyes looked to Howl, and then pierced Sophie with their disapproval.

"Sophie and I have some news you might like to hear," Howl replied.

"What is it?" his sister demanded. "A divorce? I knew it would happen – Howell, you barely know the girl, I can't believe you'd think it'd work out. It's just like you, though – never thinking things through. I cannot believe I even allowed you in my house! You're such a disgrace, Howell, I can't even… What is it?"

Howl had a murderous look on his face, which Megan had only now noticed. Sophie, feeling utterly bewildered, looked to the floor. She was immensely regretting her quickness to agree to Howl's suggestion. Not only was their situation uncomfortable, but so were the clothes Sophie was in. This time, he'd magicked a pair of the same tight blue pants he wore, a white sleeveless blouse, and something like a shawl with sleeves that clung to her torso and was the color of ripe plums.

"Sophie and I are _not _getting a divorce, Megan," said Howl coldly. He already seemed to be getting annoyed with his sister, as she was getting frustrated with him. Sophie had the impulse to run from the room.

"Mommy! I wanna see Uncle Howell!" came a girl's voice from beyond the closed door.

"Go away, Mari," said her mother loudly, with the strictness only a mother could manage. "Howell and I need to talk first."

She turned back to Howl, the crease of stress of her forehead growing. "Then what is it?"

"Sophie and I are expecting a baby."

Megan's mouth dropped open and her eyes darted right to Sophie, who could almost sense her disappointment.

"You?" she asked Sophie. "Don't you realize what you've gotten into? _Howell_, a father? He'll disappear the moment you need him the most."

Sophie had nothing to say. Megan's biting words had whipped away her confidence, replacing it with cold and bitter dislike for the woman.

"Don't speak to her like that!" said Howl sharply. He took Sophie's hand, stroking its back with his thumb. "We both know what we're doing. And I would _never _leave Sophie."

Megan was shaking her head as he spoke. "I can't believe this," she stated angrily. "You're nowhere near fit to be a father! How will you possibly provide support for the child? You'd have to drop out of college and get yourself a job, which of course you _won't. _I suppose you'll be asking _me _to help pay, but you're out of luck. I'm through with your nonsense, Howell."

She silenced then, and looked expectantly at Howl.

"Megan, I… I am not asking for anything from you!" he exclaimed, rising to his feet. Sophie followed suit. "We only came to tell you of our news. But now I see it is not welcome, so we'll leave."

He tugged Sophie out of the room with him, into the house's hall. Howl's nephew and niece were both sitting outside the door, eyes wide as saucers. Neil immediately dashed away, but little Mari stayed behind.

"What's going on, Uncle Howell?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Nothing to worry about, Mari," he lied cheerfully, ruffling her hair.

"So you're gonna have a baby?" she asked.

Howl nearly choked. "Y-yes," he stammered. "You heard what we said, then?"

She nodded. "Most of it. Uncle Howell, will you visit me again?"

He was already pulling Sophie towards the front door. "Of course, Mari."

"Howell!" cried Megan's voice from behind them. She was storming towards Howl, murder in her eyes. She pushed Mari out of the way at the same moment Howl nudged Sophie away from him. He obviously wanted this argument to be between him and Megan only.

Sophie walked hesitantly toward Mari, who was staring sadly after her mother.

"Hello, Mari," she said.

The girl looked up. "Hi, Aunt Sophie. Why are they fighting again?"

Sophie shook her head. "I'm not sure. But let's not talk about them, okay?"

Mari nodded, wanting to get off the subject of Howl and Megan as much as Sophie.

"How about you tell me about school?" suggested Sophie.

A pleased look came to Mari's face. This was obviously a subject she loved to talk about. Sophie listened as she listed off everything she learned, though little of it made sense to her. Though Sophie knew basic arithmetic and language, she was utterly confused as to what P.E. was. And though she was familiar with history in general, she was baffled when Mari talked of Welsh History.

All the while, Howl and Megan quarreled on and on, their voices steadily gaining volume. Sophie could only catch snatches of their words, but she already knew the topic of their argument.

At last, Megan stormed away from Howl, grabbing Mari by the wrist and tugging her away. Howl stared after them, his cheeks red from the squabble. Sophie approached him cautiously, unsure if his temper was still running high.

"Let's go, Howl," she said, looping her arm through his. He nodded, and together they left the house. The moment the door shut behind them, they turned around and went back in. This time, though, the door opened to show the inside of the castle.

They walked wearily inside. Sophie suddenly felt the exhaustion she recalled from their last visit with Megan, and immediately wished for a long nap. Howl seemed to feel the same.

He made his way to the stairs, casting a glance at the incomplete spell on the desk. "You know, Sophie," he said, "I really ought to finish that spell. But I think I'm much more desirous for a nice, thorough nap." His baggy clothes had already transformed back into his fine blue suit. Sophie looked down to discover that her dress had returned.

He began to step up the stairs, but Sophie stopped him. "Howl, wait."

Howl turned back, looking at her oddly. "What is it? Can it possibly wait? I need my beauty sleep, you know."

Sophie shook her head. _No,_ she thought, _no more waiting. _

It was time to tell him of the manticore.

* * *

**Hola. **

**Hopefully you're not yelling at your computer screen now, demanding for me to reveal Howl's reaction. **

**Here's a spoiler - there's some goo involved! I can't write this without any!**

**Actually, I really do hope you want the next chapter ASAP. It would make me happeh inside :D**

**As per usual, thanks for reading!**

**And (guess what!) I think you should review. Reviews are like my own personal brand of heroin...**

**See what I did there, eh? BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN I LIKE TWILIGHT. BECAUSE I DON'T. NOT AT ALL. **


	9. Chapter 9: Storm

Chapter Nine: Storm

Sophie shoved the mop forcefully back into the cluttered closet.

She sighed. The green slime had been especially abundant and difficult to clean this time.

"I should've known he'd do this…" she muttered to herself, shaking her head as she surveyed the room for any missed goop. It was all clear, as far as she could tell. Calcifer peered out from the fireplace, making sure his resting place was no longer damp.

She already regretted telling Howl of the manticore, but knew it had been the right decision. Sophie sensed that Howl would soon be over the initial shock, though at the moment it looked as if he'd remain the same for always.

In telling him, Sophie had been as brief-yet-descriptive as possible. She'd tried to convey the news quickly, so as to get it over with as soon as possible, but Howl would have none of that. He made her repeat everything that had happened at least thrice over. All the while, his face was growing red, his hair beginning to lift with a charge of magic.

After she'd finished, Howl had been angry. "How could you let this happen?" he'd yelled. "Why did you ignore Calcifer?"

Sophie had nothing to say in her defense. She knew how right Howl was.

Eventually, he had calmed down, only to call upon his "spirits of darkness" a moment later. Howl had sunk to the floor, head in his hands, as the slime began to ooze from his person. Sophie immediately went to fetch the mop, and had thus spent the next hour or so cleaning up the mess.

Howl himself had suddenly recovered his senses, and, upon seeing Sophie and recalling her news, had bolted from the house entirely. She was unsure where exactly he had gone – she had not thought to check which knob had been facing down.

_He'd better return soon…_ she thought, frustrated. _He shouldn't be such a baby._

Calcifer seemed to notice the stormy look upon her face. "If you're worried, he's really only a bit away. He's pacing the streets nearby, probably thinking."

"I wasn't worried!" Sophie snapped, though she sighed inwardly at the notion that Howl wasn't miles away. "He can do whatever he'd like!"

"It's big news for him, Sophie," Calcifer said in sympathy for Howl. Sophie scowled.

"This isn't something he can slither out of," the fire demon continued despite Sophie's irritability towards the subject. "He knows he's got to do something."

"Well he isn't alone!" Sophie exclaimed. "It's _my _child being threatened!"

"It's Howl's child as well."

She ignored him. "Anyway, he had better return soon and get over himself."

…

Sophie awoke with a start, sitting straight up in the bed. The covers were bundled tightly around her, as they usually seemed to end up. She looked around curiously, wondering what in the world had woken her up.

Her eyes fell on the occupant of the other side of the bed. _So he's back…_ she thought, surprised at her relief. When she'd gone to bed, Howl had still not returned. Though she would never admit it, she had been worried by then, anxiously awaiting his arrival.

He seemed entirely asleep, lying on his back and breathing slowly. His golden hair fanned out around him like a halo.

Suddenly a loud crash snapped her gaze to the window. Outside, in Wales, a storm was raging full-force. Rain pounded against the window, lightning flashed brilliantly every five seconds, and the wind was a pack of howling dogs. Another loud rumble of thunder shook the room, setting Sophie's nerves on edge.

She looked back to Howl, to see if he had awoken. To her surprise and amusement, he was still fast asleep.

A huge flash of lightning lit the room, followed by yet another bout of deafening thunder.

_How can he possibly be asleep still?_

Sophie sighed, realizing that for as long as the storm lasted, she would be without sleep. She pulled the covers over her head and laid back down. Though she could no longer see the lightning, she was still able to hear the earsplitting thunder and hammering rain on the window.

Suddenly, beside her, Howl shot straight up. "Wha…?" he said groggily.

Sophie pulled the blanket off her head and looked to him. "It's storming outside, Howl."

He looked at the window, nodding. "Blasted thunder…" he muttered darkly.

"Hopefully it will go away," she said, yawning. "I need to get as much sleep as possible before we've got a baby to take care of at night."

Howl blanched at the mention of the child. He glanced down at Sophie guiltily. "Sorry for leaving," he said quietly. "It's a lot to take in."

Sophie was in no mood to argue with him. "True. I'm not mad anymore, Howl."

He sighed in relief. "Thank goodness… I was certain I was in for a beating."

She chuckled. "Don't get too relieved. I may change my mind if you annoy me."

Howl laughed along with her. He reached out for her, pulling her close. He was warm and fragrant. Sophie closed her eyes at the contact, breathing in his comforting aroma. Her ear rubbed against the starched fabric of his shirt.

"Have you not changed?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Well, not really. I removed my jacket and those stiff pants, but not the shirt."

"What time did you get back?"

"Oh, about an hour ago."

"An _hour?_" she asked incredulously. "I can't believe you!"

He laughed. "I know, I know. But what can you expect? I was completely bamboozled!"

"As am I," she agreed. "We've time though."

He sighed dramatically, tightening his grip around her. His arms rested at her stomach, where, Sophie knew, that soon a bump would begin to form. The thought made her feel strangely excited for what lay ahead.

"We'll figure this out somehow, Howl," Sophie said in response to his silence. "If we can outwit a malignant fire demon, I think we can defeat a manticore."

"Perhaps," muttered Howl. "I just feel worse about this because it's my child _and _my wife in danger now."

"Not to mention yourself…" Sophie chimed in, grinning.

Howl shook his head. "You, my dear, are far more important."

With that, he fell silent, probably lost in his own thoughts. Sophie snuggled closer, reaching out for some way to comfort him. The storm continued to rage outside, louder than ever. She could barely hear herself think, and could come up with no way to approach a subject other than the manticore.

So, after a while, she drifted away into sleep, no closer to a solution than before.

* * *

**Sorry for the late update/short chapter/awful writing.**

**I didn't have much to write ABOUT, because I knew I didn't want to write the long discussion & drama with Sophie telling Howl. **

**And also, I just wanted another chapter before my May Day chapter. **

**That one should be interesting, I hope! And longer!**

**Also, I'll try to post it sooner than I did this one... That took almost a week D:**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten: May Day and Other Equally Amusing Events

"_Sophie, wake up!" _

Her eyes opened slowly, the crusty sleep in them resisting stubbornly. Dreams still danced in the forefront of her mind, the confusing not-memories tempting her to return to sleep.

She pushed the urge away, determined to wake up fully. The first thing she registered was the scent of Howl's perfume-like cologne, drifting sensationally into her nose. It was flowery and sweet, sending images of tropical islands into her brain.

"You smell like a woman, Howl," she grumbled drowsily. Sophie sat up hesitantly as he drew back, a hurt look on his face.

"I come to wake you up out of the kindness of my pure, delicate heart, and you tell me I smell girlish!" he exclaimed dramatically. "No smile, no kiss—Nothing!"

Sophie rolled her eyes, still attempting to blink away her lingering drowsiness. She couldn't recall quite when she had fallen asleep, though she knew it had been early, early that morning. She suppressed a yawn, watching amusedly as Howl toiled.

"All right, come here," she said, beckoning him forward. His eyes lit up gleefully as he moved closer to her, lips already puckered. Sophie decided she'd play with him for a bit longer.

She placed a kiss on Howl's forehead, trying not to breathe in his intoxicating scent too deeply. Sophie pulled back to look at him, resisting the urge to smirk at his crestfallen expression. Sometimes it was just _too _easy.

She rolled her eyes again, as he stared at the bed's quilt. Howl sniffled dejectedly, the picture of depression. Of course, it was all an act on his part. She knew entirely too well that it was only moments before she granted him a real kiss.

Today, however, Sophie was feeling a strong pull to tease him further. She threw off the bedcovers and stood up, pretending to ignore Howl. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him staring after her, looking surprised at her rejection.

"Sophie!" he cried childishly, moving to stand behind her. "Don't do this!"

"Don't do _what, _exactly?" she asked, trying to remain as sang-froid as possible. He obviously bought her mask of nonchalance, and continued to whine as she dressed.

She plaited her hair neatly, all the while ignoring Howl's pleads for attention. _Just another day in this not-so-ordinary life, _she thought as she looked over herself. She turned to face him. Instantly he brightened, only to dim as she swept past him.

Sophie paused at the door, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. It was time to give in, she sensed.

She turned around to find that Howl was sitting on the bed, staring at his feet. She chuckled silently and approached him.

"Howl," she said quietly as she came to a stop before him. He looked up drearily, his mouth opening as he was about to whine again.

She stopped him, pressing her lips to his. He jumped in surprise, but then eagerly kissed her back. She smiled into the kiss, before pulling away.

"Satisfied?" she asked breathlessly. _He had better be._

He nodded, slowly bringing a hand up to cup her cheek. "Impossibly so, my dear."

She said nothing in response, only nuzzled her head into Howl's palm.

"I love you, Sophie," he breathed, eyes sparkling up at her.

"Love you too, Howl," she said a moment after, before she turned and left the room, ready for the day to really begin.

…

She gazed out the front window, staring in awe at the overcrowded streets of Market Chipping. Everyone was dressed brightly, in flagrant hats and dazzling gowns and suits.

"It's finally May Day!" cried Howl as he skipped down the stairs behind her. He dashed up behind her, sweeping her into a tight embrace. She let out an _oof _of breath before he released her.

"Well, aren't _we _a bit affectionate today…" she grumbled, bristling as he continued to skip about the room.

"It's my favorite day of the year!" he exclaimed brightly. "Well, besides our anniversary…"

She waved a hand at him. "Don't play that card, Howl. Don't you think you should calm down a bit?"

He shook his head blatantly. "Of course not! Today, it is the time for celebration! We should be out in the streets, enjoying ourselves!"

"I think I'll pass." The idea of joining the huge, vibrant crowd in the streets of town gave her stomach a lurching feeling.

Howl would hear none of her hesitancy. He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the door. Her resistance, to her dismay, was futile in its entirety.

Howl pulled her through the door, straight into the ecstatic crowd before them. Happiness pulsed like electricity in the air. Sophie, like on every May Day before, noticed in particular the young couples striding arm in arm. She recalled her first encounter with Howl, and how afraid she'd been then… Now that she thought of it, May Day was when they first met.

She glanced up at Howl, who was looking about and grinning at everyone and everything. _Maybe, _she thought, _the reason this is his favorite day could be because it was when we met._ She shook the thought away, nearly convinced that Howl only liked the holiday because of all the elaborate festivities.

"Let's go to Cesari's!" he suggested out of the blue.

Sophie glanced to him. "Why? Martha isn't working today, remember?"

He nodded. "So? Am I not allowed to take my wife out for a May Day treat?"

Sophie blushed and said nothing. As they neared the Square, and thus Cesari's bakery, the amount of people crowding the streets grew remarkably. She could only imagine what the crowd in the shop would be.

They entered the broad square, and Sophie beheld the lively crowd. People were gathered around the center of the Square, watching the couples dance. There was such joy on the dancers' faces that Sophie was tempted to join them in their merriment.

Howl must have seen the longing on her face, for he took on a conspiratorial expression. Without a word, he galloped forth, taking Sophie with him, right to the edge of the dancers. She resisted stubbornly as he tried to pull her straight into the throng.

"I can't dance, Howl!" she exclaimed resolutely. "Not here!"

He thought for a moment before an idea came to him. "Just pretend we're alone then," he suggested, his voice gentle. "Don't focus on anything but the music and me."

Sophie didn't dare to mention the fact that dancing alone with Howl only made her more nervous.

Still, she nodded slowly and allowed Howl to guide her to an open space for dancing just at the close of a song. Sophie took a deep breath, willing herself to loosen up and simply enjoy the moment.

The music began, a festive tune that rang out through the Square. The people gathered around them started to clap along with the beat, their enthusiasm growing as the dance commenced.

The steps were easy, Sophie knew, but despite this she still stumbled and faltered. Frustration grew inside of her, until she looked up and met Howl's eyes. For some exasperating reason, she found that she couldn't look away.

_It must be some sort of his magic, _she grumbled inwardly, thought she had to admit it was helping. Her focus was away from the crowd and the other dancers, and onto only Howl and the music around them. She felt her flustered mood evaporate, replaced with an easy, pure simplicity that bordered on happiness. Sophie, to her pleasant surprise, was actually enjoying this.

The song ended and Howl pulled her off the dance floor, grinning blindingly. Sophie noticed the glances the people nearby were giving him – they were full of admiration and wonder.

"It's the Wizard Howl!" she heard someone exclaim in a whisper.

"He's awfully handsome, don't you think?" said someone else. This was followed by the usual giggles. Sophie tuned out of the conversation, not wanting to hear their speculations over who she was.

Howl lazily draped his arm over her shoulder, pulling her closer as they made their way to Cesari's. He still smelled of flowers, though this time Sophie decided against pointing it out.

"You're a delightful dancer, Sophie," he stated quietly, so only she could hear. "I can't see why you're so embarrassed for yourself."

She shrugged gruffly. "I don't enjoy it much, I suppose."

The entered Cesari's, which was crowded as ever. Young men gathered at the counters, vying for the attention of the worker girls. _That was Martha once, _Sophie recalled. Since her pregnancy had become apparent, however, the courting attention had certainly backed off.

They joined the long line of people waiting to order sweet pastries or cakes. Sophie was more than aware of the men's glances at Howl. A formidable opponent, they surely thought. The idea of Howl coming here to court a girl nearly sent Sophie into hysterical laughter. For a time, she had hated the memories of Howl's scandalous love life before he had truly met her, but now she simply saw it as comical. Many times, Howl had proven to her that he was hers, and hers alone. It was enough to satisfy her for years.

…

About an hour later, they returned to their home. They were both exhausted from the high amount of energy outside, especially Sophie, who was ready to sleep for days. But before she could slump up the stairs to the temptation of her bed, her eyes fell upon the occupants of the couch before her.

Lettie immediately threw herself upon her sister.

"Sophie, I've missed you so dearly!" she cried.

The Wizard Suliman, who was watching the encounter bemusedly, sidled up beside Howl. They clasped hands companionably. "Good to see you," said Suliman good-naturedly. Howl, of course, was always glad to see him. After all, Suliman had allowed Howl to escape the title of Royal Wizard.

"Lettie, it's wonderful for you to visit!" said Sophie gladly. "What brings you here? I can't imagine why you'd rather spend May Day in Market Chipping, rather than Kingsbury!"

Lettie backed up to stand by Suliman. He gently took her hand in his, which caused her to beam brilliantly.

"Sophie, we're getting married!"

* * *

**It's a bit hard to believe I've already reached chapter TEN! **

**STILL FIGHTING! WHOO.**

**Anyway, I really hope my attempts at fluff weren't utter failures. I actually kinda sorta liked them. But that's just me.**

**Hopefully this chapter's better than the last one! That one was a fail, sorry.**

**BUT WAIT - LETTIE AND SULIMAN, MARRIED?**

**So INTENSE! **


	11. Chapter 11: Everything Changes with Time

Chapter Eleven: Everything Changes with Time

"_Married?" _Sophie repeated incredulously.

Lettie nodded enthusiastically, a brilliant smile gracing her face.

"That's… That's fantastic!" Sophie exclaimed, rushing forward to embrace her sister again. As Lettie gushed on and on over every last detail of their engagement, Sophie allowed herself to absorb some of her blissful energy. _I could use some of this simple happiness, _she mused inwardly.

Unavoidably, Sophie was reminded of when she and Howl had become engaged. Contrary to what anyone knowing Howl would presume, it was a modest, less-than-dramatic proposal. No fireworks, no acting troupes, none of that. She smiled at the remembrance.

"Have you set a date?" she asked.

Lettie bit her lip and looked to Suliman.

He shrugged. "We're thinking of a winter wedding, actually," he replied. "Though, of course, we've no idea when exactly."

Sophie nodded. "That's expected. You've got plenty of time in that case, then."

They both nodded and smiled at each other, practically radiating happiness. Sophie rolled her eyes good-humoredly while they weren't looking. Howl, however, noticed her actions. He cocked an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Oh, we have to tell Martha now!" cried Lettie suddenly. "And Michael as well, in that case. They're certain to be together today of all days."

She bustled for the door, Suliman following closely. "We'll let you know if we decide upon anything for the wedding, Sophie," assured Lettie as she stood in the doorway. "I plan on having you as my maid of honor, you know," she added in a lower tone.

Sophie flushed, a feeling of appreciation for Lettie rising in her. "Thanks, Lettie," she said earnestly. "And congratulations, really. I'm so happy for you!"

Lettie beamed as she and Suliman left, both calling their fond goodbyes. Sophie shut the door behind them and turned back to Howl, a smile upon her face.

"Such interesting times, eh?" she said, shaking her head. "Lettie's getting married, and both Martha and I are pregnant! I simply… Oh, dear."

Howl straightened, peering anxiously at her. "What is it?"

She cursed herself inwardly. "I completely forgot to tell Lettie our news!"

Howl slapped his hand to his forehead. "Oh. Me too."

She sighed. "I'm sure we'll be seeing them soon. It probably wouldn't have been a good idea to overshadow their news with ours, anyway."

Howl shrugged. "You're probably right." He paused, glancing at his desk. The spell was still sitting atop it, gathering dust. Howl sighed. "I'd better work on that."

Sophie's eyes followed him as he took a seat before the paper. "What is it, anyway? It must be _some_ spell, to give you this much trouble."

He nodded. "You can say that again. It's a waste of my magic, I'll say. I'd drop it, if it weren't for the money offered. Basically, some young entrepreneur has gotten his hands on an old, decrepit mansion with some nasty protection charms around it. I've got to figure out how to reverse them, with the help of the spells used to put the protections up in the first place. Of course, it doesn't help that it was written a hundred years ago."

Sophie cocked an eyebrow. "You're making progress, though, right?"

He shrugged. "You could say that…"

"Why not have Michael help you?"

Howl snorted. "Do you not think I can handle this?"

She rolled her eyes at his defensive tone. "Of course you can. But if you had help, you could complete this more easily." She walked up beside him, peering over his shoulder at the spell.

"I don't need help!" he snapped, snatching the paper so she could no longer see it. Sophie sighed. There he went, too prideful to accept her help. It wasn't a new story, for certain.

"All right then," she consented, backing away. "Have fun solving that without me."

Howl pretended not to hear her.

…

Time passed, and still Howl had not completed the spell. Sophie had decided not to offer to help him again, telling herself that if he wanted help he'd have to ask for it.

_Serves him right, _she thought, sparing him a glance. He was still slumped over the desk, eyes scanning the spell papers as if he was hoping something new and helpful would appear after reading it for the hundredth time.

Business in the flower shop continued to boom, so Sophie and Michael—when he wasn't busy preparing for the baby with Martha or handling spells for Howl—spent what felt like ridiculous amounts of time in there. Howl, however, rarely showed his face in the shop. Secretly, Sophie was grateful, for it prevented his fans from disturbing the business.

As May drew into June, and the sun climbed ever higher into the sky, Sophie began to notice a few changes. What struck her particularly was the small bump that had appeared over her stomach. It was a sort of final confirmation for her, the last assurance that yes, she was pregnant.

She sighed. "It'll only get bigger, Sophie," she told herself as she descended the castle stairs. Calcifer looked up upon her arrival, the fire demon's eyes shining with urgency.

"What?" Sophie asked. "What is it?"

"You'll never believe what I sense nearby," he drawled, seeming to roll his eyes.

She took a step back. "It can't be! Why in the world would that manticore come back? There hasn't been any snow yet!" Though she reasoned with herself that by no means was it there to take the baby, a small sense of panic was now lodged in her head.

"It's lurking at the edge of the meadows," Calcifer said. He didn't seem very worried; on the contrary, he appeared to be a bit amused. "The thing's probably there just to make sure we haven't gone anywhere."

Sophie shrugged her shoulders. "True, true. Then, I suppose I won't be fetching flowers anytime soon?"

"Michael already did, before you even woke up," he answered, to Sophie's surprise.

She cracked a smile. "Good. That makes things easier." She glanced up the stairs, towards the closed door of the bathroom. "Don't tell Howl about the manticore, okay? I really don't want to clean up any more slime."

The fire demon made a noise of assent, and Sophie turned away, headed for the flower shop. Just then, Howl burst forth from the bathroom in a cloud of fragrant steam, looking immaculate as usual. He swept grandly down the stairs, looking like some sort of tall, lean cherub.

Sophie glanced at Calcifer. "_Definitely _don't tell him about it."

Calcifer clearly couldn't agree more.

"Sophie, my dear!" Howl cried as his feet left the final step. "You're looking lovely!"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Good morning, Howl. Is there… a particular reason for your merriment right now?"

He sighed contentedly, and Sophie snorted. "Why, I'm glad you asked," he said elegantly. "The reason for my blithe mood certainly resides in that I've figured out the answer!"

She cocked an eyebrow. "The answer?" she repeated.

He stepped over to the desk and grabbed the spell with a flourish. "The answer! I finally realized what I need to do about this abomination!"

Sophie nodded. "And?"

Howl opened his mouth to speak, but paused. "I… I mean, _we, _are going to pay this young fellow's mansion a visit!"

Sophie's lack of change in expression urged Howl to continue.

"I can't believe it didn't occur to me sooner!" he exclaimed, seeming fully enveloped in his solution. "The old place is bound to have some sort of clues! Records, probably, of the wizards hired to cast the spells in the first place, and maybe more. It's pure genius!"

"Genius, right," Sophie said, meeting his expectant eyes. "Well, it's a start."

He grinned triumphantly, though Sophie could tell he had expected her to agree with him from the start. "Let's go, then!"

Sophie hesitated. What about the flower shop?

Howl followed her glance. "Michael will be fine without us, trust me. Besides, this is more important, Sophie! It could change everything!"

She rolled her eyes. "Right, everything." Still, she followed Howl out the door, casting a last glance at the shop door along with an apologetic thought for Michael.

* * *

**Um, hi. *awkward laughter***

**Let me begin by saying how sorry I am for not posting in a month! **

**I've been really busy lately, whether I like it or not D: I MISSED WRITING THIS!**

**Good news is, school ends after next week, so I'll have loads more time to write! YES.**

**Also, I apologize for the crappy chapter. It's a bit of a filler, really. The next chapter will actually have plot in it, and (hopefully) the writing will be up to par. **

**So, I hope you can forgive me! As always, reviews & such are loved immensely!**

**OH AND I READ CASTLE IN THE AIR (which was amazing, js). So now I know how to keep this canon! WHOO. **


	12. Chapter 12: Sophie's Discovery

Chapter Twelve: Sophie's Discovery

The air outside was warm, borderline stuffy. Alongside Market Chipping's usual humidity, Sophie knew it would only get worse. The sun was climbing in the clear blue sky, shining directly down onto her face. Summer was near, with autumn after, then winter… Sophie didn't want to think of what would happen then, when the trees lost their leaves and the world grew cold. With winter, she knew, came snow.

Sophie had always loved snow as a child, adoring the way it landed on her fingertips and turned magically into water. She had even fancied winter as her favorite season. But now things were different. She dreaded it like she dreaded cleaning the bathroom, like she had dreaded facing the Witch of the Waste. All she could think of at the word's mention was the manticore.

They made their way rather quickly, Howl leading her through shortcuts and down empty streets like he had known the place all his life. Sophie actually had, and yet some of these routes were entirely unfamiliar.

_He had better not be leading us through a red-light district just because it's a shorter way, _she thought, nerves on edge as they ducked into yet another shady alley. She was relieved to emerge onto a well-known street towards the western edge of town.

"Where is this mansion, exactly?" she asked Howl, coming up to stride beside him.

"Just a few miles out from town, I think," he replied, eyes scanning the buildings around them. "It's about a fifteen-minute walk."

"Don't you think that exhaustion will hurt the baby?" Sophie asked teasingly, not intending to be serious in the least. Howl, however met her eyes worriedly.

"Will it? Do we need to stop and rest?" he asked quickly, sounding earnestly nervous.

Sophie laughed and waved a hand at him in dismissal. "No, of course not," she insisted. "I was joking, Howl. It's only bad for me to walk once I'm near the due date. Or so I've heard."

Howl looked unconvinced, but nodded anyway. "As long as you're sure. Just… please don't joke about this, all right? I'm already worried for him enough!"

Sophie patted his shoulder comfortingly. "I'm sorry, Howl. I'll be serious now."

They walked on in silence. Sophie was flooded with regret after what she had said, worried that Howl's mood was ruined.

To her relief, he turned to her and grinned after a few moments. "So… D'you think we'll find the answers at the mansion?"

"There's no way to know," she replied. "But…it could be helpful. It's nice to see I'm actually allowed to help this time."

Howl coughed. "I don't know what you're talking about, Sophie."

"Mmm," she said. "Sure you don't. Just don't go and expect me to help you if this doesn't work."

They were now just outside of Market Chipping, where the houses were growing steadily grander and farther apart from one another. The Folding Valley had always been a place Sophie had enjoyed, though she hadn't spent much of her childhood outside of Market Chipping.

Automobiles and people on horseback passed them at a constant rate, so she and Howl were never alone on the road. To her relief, no one ever passed that she recognized, and she was able to make the journey without idle conversation.

Howl continuously wondered aloud about the contents of the old mansion. He seemed convinced that they would find something utterly _life-changing _there, or at least discover the exact way to reverse the enchantments. Sophie wanted to point out how silly he was being, but the look in his eyes stopped her.

At last they came to a halt in front of a wrought iron gate. It had obviously been very grand once, but was now chipped and rusted over. Beyond it ran a narrow dirt road, up to what Sophie could make out as the top of the mansion.

Howl approached the gate and reached out his hand, the tips of his fingers brushing the metal. Instantly he recoiled, as if bitten by a snake. "There's protection enchantments on the gates, even," he mused, gazing at his fingers.

"Will we be able to get in?"

Howl chuckled lightly and said nothing. He was fully focused on the gate now, his attention undivided. His nose nearly brushed the rusty metal as he studied it with his eyes. Howl's lips moved without a sound, and Sophie wondered if he was reciting something.

With an almost undetectable clang and scattering of chipped paint and rust, the gates swung open. Howl backed away, looking irritatingly smug.

"Shall we?" he said, gesturing to the road ahead of them. Sophie rolled her eyes and followed him through the gates. They swung closed as soon as they were out of the way.

The lawn in front of the mansion was unkempt and grassy. It looked as though it had lain untouched for decades, which, Sophie realized, could actually be the case. As they neared the house, a sense of unease began to grow in her.

It wasn't the largest mansion in the valley, or the grandest, but it was certainly one of the oldest. Hulking and dark, it rose from the ground like some ancient stone structure from ages past. It was almost leaning in on itself, like an old man reliant on a cane.

They approached the front door cautiously. Sophie was hesitant to duck under the stone awning, for it looked as though it might collapse with the rest of the mansion. Howl peered at the door, assessing it for enchantments or locks.

"This house doesn't seem safe, Howl," Sophie said, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.

He waved away her concerns with a snort. "Don't be silly. Almost all of the houses here are fortified with magic. This place is no exception, trust me."

Sophie's worries were appeased, at least for a short while. She stood back, barely under the cool shade of the awning, as Howl literally worked his magic on the door. He was muttering incantations under his breath as he fiddled with the brass doorknob.

He let out a cry of victory as the lock clicked open. "Sometimes wizardry _does _come in handy, eh?"

"Sometimes," said Sophie sarcastically, following him inside. She reluctantly closed the door behind her before turning to behold the mansion's entry hall. She could barely even see anything, as the room was cloaked in darkness. Beneath her feet, she could tell, was a long antique rug, worn slightly thin from overuse. Though it was hard to imagine, the mansion must have once been crowded with people before it fell into disarray.

Howl summoned a lamp, which cast a dim glow about the entire hall. Now Sophie could see the checkered tiling of the floor around the rug, and the various tables and vases lining the edges of the room. Gilt-framed portraits hung at intervals on the wood-paneled walls, though the light was too dim for her to make out any features.

There were closed doors on either side of them, and a grand staircase ahead, leading to a dark upper landing. Howl stopped at the foot of the stairs, peering upwards.

"Which way, Sophie?"

She stiffened. "Howl, how am I supposed to know?"

"I know, I know," he said, laughing. "Anyhow… Wouldn't you agree that a library might be a decent place to start our search?"

Sophie nodded, seeing his reasoning. "Would a library have spell records?"

He shrugged. "Possibly. Let's worry about that once we find it." With that, he began to climb the stairs, Sophie in tow. Their shoes clicked ominously on the cold marble surface, echoing in the chamber below.

Once they reached the landing of the next floor, Howl paused to look around. There were hallways branching out on both their left and right sides, leading away into absolute darkness. Ahead was what appeared to be a small parlor, with dusty couches framing a glass table.

"Hmm," said Howl. "I've got a good feeling about the left, don't you?"

Sophie said nothing, but grimaced as he turned to walk in that direction. _Leave it to Howl to get them hopelessly lost, _she thought glumly.

As they walked, Howl tried every door they passed. Most opened, revealing bedchambers or bathrooms or closets, but a few of the doors refused to open, even after Howl tried his magic. "These must be the rooms with the protection spells," he muttered after proving himself unable to open another door. "Good to see what I'm working with."

At last they reached the end of the hallway, and the last door. Howl took a deep breath before turning its knob. To their relief, it swung open with a loud creak.

Howl swept through the doorway, holding out the lamp like an Olympic flame. Immediately it revealed rows upon rows of tall, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, filled to the brim with scrolls, tomes, and everything in between.

Sophie breathed an immense sigh of relief. "All right. Now that we've found the library, what do we do?"

"Oh, Sophie, my dear," scoffed Howl elegantly, "This is the easy part."

"What do you mean?" she asked slowly, dreading his response.

He said nothing, however, and just stepped forward into the first row of bookshelves.

"You call searching through mountains of books the _easy _part?" she asked incredulously, her irritation growing.

Howl shook his head. "No, of course not. Give me some quiet, please. I've some spellwork to do."

Sophie stood back, arms crossed, as Howl began to work. He was muttering incantations again, and drawing shapes in the air. The air seemed to pulse around them as he went, waves of energy sweeping through the room.

"Aha!" Howl cried, and suddenly everything returned to normal. He practically leapt forth, breaking into a run as if chased by a pack of ravenous dogs. Sophie followed him, muttering curses under her breath. _If I was still an old woman, I'd have his head for this!_

He stopped suddenly, causing Sophie to nearly barrel into him. "What's all this about?" she questioned crossly.

Howl ignored her for the time being, as his attention was focused entirely upon the books stacked above him. He seemed to be searching for a particular one. Sophie was dumbfounded; how he expected to be able to locate the exact one they needed was beyond her.

She couldn't even see all the way to the top of the bookshelf, where there were certainly no fewer books than she was able to behold. They were all crammed together, with no apparent order. Most of the books had no writing on the spines, no way for someone to tell what they were.

"I'm going to have to climb this…" Howl murmured.

Sophie turned to him, eyebrows arched. "What?"

"The book we need is close to the top," he explained, eyes on the bookshelf.

"How do you know that?"

He looked at her strangely. "Haven't you been paying attention? The spell I used a moment ago was to find any books relating to magical records."

The pieces of the puzzle came together before her eyes, leaving Sophie feeling idiotic. "Oh," she mumbled pathetically. "I see."

Howl nodded quickly, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. By then, though, he'd learned not to grin too brightly when Sophie was irritated. So, instead of pushing the boundaries of her mood, he hopped onto the first shelf and began the ascent.

"Be careful!" she called, pushing away the secret wish for him to fall.

"I will!" he yelled back, though he continued to climb the shelves without a care.

"Don't come crying to me when you slip," Sophie grumbled, rolling her eyes. She looked away from Howl, determined to keep herself from worrying over him. She focused instead on the books in front of her. Almost none of them had titles on their spines, and they all looked old and well-worn. They were all bound with leather or hide, and some had covers dyed brightly.

Sophie absentmindedly selected a mid-sized volume with a binding the color of the winter sky. Nothing on its outside revealed the book's subject, so she flipped it open and began to read.

_The Sphinx is a creature of great proportions, originating from the Deserts of Egypte. It is said to have burst forth from the Sands at the Birth of the World. The Sphinx is known to posses all Knowledge ever in Existence. The creature, though rare in our World, is thought to dwell in mountainous, desert Regions, feasting on unfortunate Travelers and other Creatures. _

Sophie, intrigued, flipped to the book's title page.

_CREATURES OF THE DEEPEST FANTASY_

"Interesting," she mused, just as another thought came to light. Instantly she flipped to the book's index, fingers tracing the lines of print for that one word.

There it was: _Manticore._

She was rapidly turning pages to find this entry when she heard Howl call something to her. She glanced up to find him descending at a brisk pace, barely even touching the bookshelf. In his hand was a tattered-looking, yellowed scroll.

Sophie pocketed the book. _I'll save this for later._

* * *

**Woohoo, another update! I knew I wanted to update quickly, since the last chapter was less than decent. Sorry about that.**

**I just had to get in the groove again, you know? *starts dancing***

**I've finally gotten around to making a complete outline for this, so there's a load off my shoulders. I kind of realized I need an outline to be able to actually finish a story, so... Voila! Now I know I can do this! **

**Thanks to everyone for reading & reviewing! **


	13. Chapter 13: Moving Day Again

Chapter Thirteen: Moving Day (Again)

"I think this will prove useful," Howl said animatedly as he gazed in admiration at the scroll. They were already back in Market Chipping, making their way back to the flower shop. This time of year, the streets weren't as crowded as before, seeing as most people tended to go on holiday in June.

Sophie simply nodded along as Howl spoke. He was practically buzzing with excitement; such was his relief on finally making a step closer to figuring out the spell.

"Also, just seeing the mansion and encountering the spells in work helped a lot," he admitted, somewhat grudgingly. Sophie cracked a smile at that.

"Well, you'd better figure it out quickly, then," she said, nudging his shoulder. "You've taken long enough."

He rolled his eyes, pouting. "I'll figure it out when I figure it out."

"I'm only pointing out that which is right before your eyes, Howl," she responded, but Howl took that moment to yawn loudly, therefore ignoring her.

Sophie rolled her eyes. "Don't annoy me. Pregnant women are unpredictable, you know."

Howl's eyes shone in mischief. "Oh, don't you play that card!" he cried.

Sophie glanced around, noticing a few strange glances in their direction. "Don't cause a scene, Howl," she muttered, lowering her voice so only he could hear.

Howl, of course, did the exact opposite. "I'm not causing a scene!" he practically shouted. Several heads turned to them, along with a good number of inquisitive, if not condescending, looks.

"_Howl!" _she said sharply. He simply grinned.

"What on earth are you talking about, Sophie?" he exclaimed dramatically. Obviously, he was enjoying publicly humiliating her, as usual.

She simply crossed her arms over her chest and shot him a withering look, receiving a blinding grin and wink in response. Her wall of resistance crumbled a bit then, not that she was willing to admit it.

"Oh, so now you're going to _ignore _me?" he cried, his voice cracking for effect.

Now the entire street was silent but for Howl. Their eyes were all locked on he and Sophie, who was almost to the point of dragging him home by his ear and never allowing him out in public again. But, of course, Howl was nowhere near done with this act.

"_I can't believe you're doing this, Sophie!" _he exclaimed shrilly. Sophie was clenching and unclenching her fists, and biting her lip to prevent herself from snapping at him and therefore fueling the flames of his silliness.

"_And you won't even say a word!" _he yelled in mock-anger. "_Why do you—"_

Howl broke off midsentence and began to gawk at something behind Sophie. A red flush rose upon his cheeks. Sophie was bamboozled.

She turned around slowly, wondering what could possibly have stopped Howl in his tracks. _I'll certainly thank them a thousand times. It takes a true genius to shut Howl up sometimes…_

"Hello. Am I interrupting something?"

Sophie gaped. There, before them, was none other than Suliman, a bemused look upon his face. She, like Howl, blushed in embarrassment.

"Er—Hi," she said awkwardly. "And no, you weren't. Howl was just being melodramatic, as usual. He was trying to embarrass me."

Suliman arched an eyebrow. "And succeeding, I presume."

She huffed a sigh. "Sadly, yes. Some days, I don't know how I manage to put up with him."

Suliman chuckled and moved past her, to Howl, who was still standing as if frozen in place.

"Care to explain this?"

A sheepish grin rose to Howl's face. "Oh. A little healthy drama, you know?"

"_He _was the only one being dramatic," she pointed out, coming up to stand beside Suliman. Howl grinned.

"Why, that's preposterous."

"I think I believe Sophie in this case," the older wizard said knowingly. "I know Howl a bit too well to buy what he's saying."

Sophie smiled victoriously. "That's a relief."

Howl shrugged dramatically, heaving out a sigh. "No one ever believes me…" he said pitifully.

"We do when it counts," Suliman said. He stepped forward. "Let's continue on, shall we?"

They began walking, Suliman grandly nodding to the people on either side of the street. Most of them were still watching the group with curious eyes, as if waiting for Howl's next explosion.

"Nothing to see here!" Suliman shouted calmly. Be it by courtesy or simply because of the man's high-appearing stature, everyone returned to their daily business. Sophie, however, was keen to notice the furtive glances they received as they made their way.

Once they had rounded the corner, they judged it safe to speak openly.

"What brings you here, Ben?" Howl asked conversationally, all traces of his previous drama vanished. "I thought you and Lettie had returned to Kingsbury by now."

Suliman nodded. "We did, and Lettie is still there. I came to see you. You see, the King has informed me that, with rising tensions with Strangia after the war, he sees it necessary to increase magical attention there. So, of course, he sees it fit to have his Royal Wizards with him during these times."

Howl grimaced, evidence of his slither-outer past with the King's requests. "So, I suppose he wants Sophie and me to relocate to Kingsbury?"

Suliman shrugged. "You could take it that way. But wouldn't it be easier to simply move one of the castle's locations to Kingsbury again? You've no need to escape the government any longer."

Howl laughed and clapped Suliman on the back. "Exactly!" he cried. "We'll just move house!"

Suliman nodded. "That's the reaction I was hoping for. I knew the King was worried when he sent me to talk to you. If he wasn't sure you'd slither out of it somehow, he would've summoned you himself to tell you the news."

Sophie couldn't agree with him more. It certainly was a relief having someone around who knew Howl's character so well.

"Me? Slither out?" Howl scoffed. "Never!"

Sophie snorted. "Whatever you say. Regardless, we're definitely going to switch one of the doors to lead to Kingsbury, right Howl?"

He nodded, looking sheepish. "Indeed. Though it will be tough to part with our beloved gateway… Why don't we just make it into a five-way door?"

Sophie shook her head immediately. "Absolutely not! We'll change the mansion door to a Kingsbury door."

He sighed. "Suit yourself. But where will you go when you have another weed-killer rampage?"

Suliman raised his eyebrows. _Weed-killer rampage? _he mouthed. Sophie shook her head at him, telling him not to even bother asking.

"We'll think about that later," she told Howl firmly. "Don't try any more excuses with me."

Suliman chuckled lightly. "I wouldn't dare if I were you, Howl. A pregnant wife is a challenge I have yet to face."

Howl and Sophie both turned to him in astonishment. "You know?" they asked in unison.

He nodded, smiling knowingly. "Martha told us when we visited her. It's also—if you don't mind me saying—growing to be quite evident." As he said this, he glanced pointedly at Sophie's growing belly. She flushed.

"Ah, I see," she said absently. "Very well, then. That's a load off my chest. You'll never imagine how rough it is to break the news sometimes."

Howl patted her arm comfortingly. "It's over now, practically. What you refuse to say they'll be able to figure out for themselves." Sophie, angered, reached to smack his arm, but it had already been pulled quickly away by a grinning Howl.

Suliman looked at them with what Sophie could've sworn was a bit of envy. "Well then, I'd best be on my way," he said, tipping his hat in farewell. "I expect I'll be seeing you soon, in Kingsbury."

Howl and Sophie both nodded. "We probably will," she agreed. "Goodbye!"

Suliman left them, probably heading to whichever inn he was staying at. Howl and Sophie continued on their way home. They had been taking a rather extensive route back, so as to let the conversation go for as long as was needed. Still, it would only be a few turns before they returned to the flower shop.

"You're awful," Sophie said, nudging Howl with her elbow. "It was obvious how much you wanted to back out of moving!"

He smiled innocently. "Whatever do you mean?" he asked mildly, tilting his head in fake confusion.

She rolled her eyes. "Remind me again how you're a Royal Wizard?"

…

"Ah, look—Kingsbury!" Howl exclaimed, throwing open the door with a flourish. It swung open to reveal the fine brick streets and grand buildings of Ingary's capital. Eloquent carriages rode past, along with sleek automobiles and the usual streetgoers.

Howl shut the door, looking triumphant. "Now _there's _a spell I can handle!"

"Congratulations," Sophie said, clapping her hands in mockery. "You're a wizard, Howl."

She had been sitting on the hearth, by Calcifer, as Howl had worked to magic the door into leading to Kingsbury. She'd said her not-so-fond farewells to the mansion before he truly went to work. First he had to actually find an empty house in Kingsbury, before beginning the usual pentagram-drawing and spell chanting. To be honest, it was all growing boring in Sophie's eyes. Well, somewhat. She had to admit, the small explosions were slightly interesting.

Howl shot her a haughty look. "You simply can't understand my magic, can you? It's just too deep, I suppose. Ah, well… It can't be helped." He sighed dramatically and dropped his hand from the doorknob. The blob facing down, which had previously been orange, was now bright red, as it had been before they moved house in the first place.

Sophie waved a hand at him in annoyance. "Tell me when you're done with your so-called _deep _magic, will you? I need to cook dinner."

Howl simply turned away and sashayed upstairs, leaving behind a smirking Sophie.

* * *

**Yo. I hope at least _someone _finds this chapter amusing. It was fun to write xD**

**Oh, and did anyone catch that Harry Potter reference? It was blatantly obvious, but still. I couldn't resist!**

**Hope thou enjoyed!**


	14. Chapter 14: Rose

Chapter Fourteen: Rose

As time passed and June gave way to July, Sophie couldn't help but wonder if moving to Kingsbury was such a good idea after all. Howl was out in the city constantly, handling spell after spell for the King. Sophie resigned herself to working more in the flower shop, after Michael continued to grow more and more stressed. Martha's due date was coming up quickly, which didn't help.

July had proven to be a humid, wet month this year. Almost every day it rained, leaving the streets drenched and keeping Sophie indoors for the most part. The air outside seemed to be in a perpetual state of intense humidity, and everywhere Sophie went it smelled of metal.

She and Calcifer were no closer to figuring out the manticore's riddle. She and the fire demon spent hours each day toiling over it, but to no avail.

"Maybe there's no solution," she said one day, after her mind drew another blank.

Calcifer was silent. "Maybe we're just idiots," he said at length.

She gave no reply.

Howl, despite his initial excitement over finding spell records in the mansion, was still no closer to completing his spell than before. He studied the scroll almost religiously, poring over it every chance that he got. It didn't help that he had precious little time at home, something he certainly didn't forget to complain about constantly.

"I swear, the King is working me to the bone!" he wailed after spending the entire day out and about on Royal issue. "To the _bone, _I say!"

Sophie just nodded absentmindedly as she worked to stitch together a frayed bit of Howl's suit.

"I mean, how can he expect me to do all of this? I've got work of my own to do! Isn't this ridiculous?"

Sophie glanced up at him. He looked distraught, impeccably so, as if he'd arranged his appearance just to look that way. She wouldn't put it past him; that was for certain.

"Is someone wishing they'd slithered out of this?" she asked teasingly.

He sighed. "Oh, no, not at all. Doing the King's chores and serving my country is all I've ever desired." The sarcasm in his words screamed of his unhappiness.

Sophie put down her needle and looked him in the eye. "Think of it this way, Howl," she said. "You get to parade about town in those fancy suits of yours every day. Certainly more than a few women want to have you, and more than a few men want to _be _you, especially since you're working for the King himself. Isn't that the silver lining you were looking for?"

Howl looked away dramatically, heaving another sigh. "You would think so, wouldn't you? But I don't know, Sophie. I suppose I'm not as vain a man as I once was…"

She rolled her eyes. "Of course. Still, try and find some enjoyment in this, all right?"

"I'll try."

"Good." She picked up the needle again and picked up sewing where she left off. "Just get some rest or something, okay?"

Howl nodded and left silently. He padded quietly up the stairs, into their room. Once Sophie heard the distinct click of the door closing, she let out a sigh.

"What is he, ten?"

…

Towards the end of the month, Howl's mood seemed to pick up. Sophie sensed he'd made some sort of breakthrough on the spell, though she couldn't be sure. She tended to avoid the subject, dreading that he would demand for her to come along on another exploratory mission.

She was working in the flower shop every day now, covering for Michael. After watching his condition grow worse and worse, she'd sent him home to Martha, completely ignoring his protestations.

"You can come back once you're a father," she had said as she closed the door after him.

Howl still served as the King's magical errand-boy, though he seemed not to mind it so much anymore. He and Suliman were working together on something as well—something strictly confidential. Though she had rolled her eyes at Howl's secretive tone, she still wondered what it could be that they were up to.

On the pregnancy side of the spectrum of her life, Sophie was growing exasperated. Along with the rains of July had come morning sickness. She couldn't help but glare at her ever-growing belly as she hunched over the toilet bowl yet again one morning. Howl, predictably, was of no help whatsoever. He simply lurked outside of the bathroom, asking weakly if she needed anything. Sophie, out of pure kindness, always turned him down.

Another little side effect were the strange, almost unexplainable, bursts of magic. Sophie could be doing the most mundane task in the world, and something odd would happen. Objects would levitate and follow in her wake, candles would ignite, tiny fireworks like those Howl had produced would light the air.

"Hmm," said Howl thoughtfully, watching as papers from his desk floated upwards to swirl around Sophie, who looked mildly annoyed. "You know what I think this is?"

She looked to him. "What?"

"I think that this must be wizard behavior," he replied. "Which means our son is a wizard!"

She looked at him blankly. "Well, that's given, don't you think? How could he not be?"

Howl shrugged. "Touché. But from the looks of it, he's powerful!" He gazed lovingly at Sophie's bulging stomach, an action she found admittedly odd. Self-consciously, she brought her hands down over her belly.

"If he's anything like you, he'll have a lot of magic," she admitted.

Howl peered at her. "Do I sense a compliment there?"

She shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. I'll let you decide. But don't think I—"

Sophie broke off at the sound of a sharp rap on the front door. Howl was dashing for it before she could even take a step. He swung it open grandly, a welcoming grin upon his face. Sophie peered past him, curious as to who had come.

It was a tall, thin girl with bright, almost scarlet red hair. She was dressed primly, with shining black boots and a velvet, cape-like shawl. Her eyes were glued to Howl, her mouth open as though she had been about to speak.

Howl flashed a grin. "Hello, there. How can I help you?"

At the sound of his voice, she seemed to recover her senses. "Oh. Yes, hello," she said politely. She had a strange accent, hinting to Sophie that she certainly wasn't from Ingary. Maybe Strangia, but she couldn't imagine that it was very likely, seeing as to the recent war there.

The girl cleared her throat, glancing briefly down to her feet. Sophie instinctively followed her gaze, and noticed the leather suitcase behind her. She raised an eyebrow. _What could this mean?_

"Um," she began awkwardly. "My name is Rose Buchanan. I assume you got my letters?"

Howl furrowed his eyebrows. "Yes… I think I did, actually," he said at last, though he sounded confused.

Rose nodded, looking relieved. "Well, I hope I'm expected. I don't want to intrude."

"Why would you be intruding?" Howl asked warmly.

She looked at him curiously. "Are you sure you read my letters?"

Howl looked sheepish. "At some point, I did."

She nearly rolled her eyes, from what Sophie could tell. "Then I might need to re-inform you. Like I said, I'm Rose. And, though you may not remember it, I'm your new apprentice."

* * *

**Helloo. **

**Ok, so it's finally summer *wild cheering***

**I'll try and update more often now! I'll be gone Wednesday & Thursday, though. Sorry.**

**Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed! Reviews and such are awesome! Thanks to everyone who's subscribed to this story - I'll try not to disappoint!**


	15. Chapter 15: A Show of Talents

Chapter Fifteen: A Show of Talents

Howl looked utterly dumbfounded. For a few moments—which felt like a small eternity to Sophie and probably Rose—he stood stock still, staring at her in wonder. Then, as if some force had overtaken him, he jolted a bit and a look of remembrance rose to his face.

"Oh!" he cried.

"Oh?" repeated Sophie questioningly. "So you remember this?"

He nodded quickly, grinning. He didn't look the least bit embarrassed at his forgetfulness. "Well, of course," he said. "I simply had a moment of absentmindedness, is all."

Rose looked immensely relieved, but said nothing. She still stood awkwardly in the doorway, Sophie noticed. After a while, Howl noticed this as well.

"Well, come in!" he exclaimed, standing aside as Rose stepped into the house. She looked around curiously, but her eyes were immediately captured by Calcifer in the fireplace.

"A fire demon," she said wondrously. "I'd heard you had one, but I wasn't sure…"

Howl chuckled and looked proudly to Calcifer. "Well—he's not mine, exactly. Not anymore."

She peered upward at Howl curiously. "Not yours? What do you mean?"

He ran his fingers through his golden hair. "It's—er—complicated. I'm sure there'll come a time when I can tell you the full story. Let's just say that Calcifer here finds that there are certain benefits to working with me."

Rose nodded and dropped the subject, though her eyes still lingered on the fireplace.

"Why don't we get you a room?" suggested Howl, clapping his hands once. "We've got one free, after all. I hope you don't mind that it's a bit dusty."

Rose shook her head. "No, it's fine."

"I would've cleaned it, had Howl actually _told _me you were coming," grumbled Sophie. The girl raised her eyebrows at this, but said nothing.

Howl led them up the stairs, to the room Michael used to occupy. "There you are," he said, opening the door and ushering her inside.

The room was rather plain, no longer filled with Michael's materials and personal items. A small bed sat in the corner, with a small bedside table beside it. There was also a writing desk and a wooden wardrobe, both of which were entirely empty and covered in dust.

Rose walked inside and placed her bags on the bed. She examined the room for a bit before turning back to Howl and Sophie, who was watching from the doorway. She was unsure on how she felt about the new apprentice, but had to admit she was glad to have extra help in the flower shop (if, of course, Rose was willing to do so.)

"It's a lovely room," she said, smiling. "Thank you for letting me stay here. I hope not to disappoint." She gave an odd little bow, which Howl returned, though his bow was eloquent as can be.

"Well, I'll leave you to unpack and such. Once you're settled in, why don't you come downstairs and show me what you can do?"

Rose nodded.

With that, Howl closed the door and turned to Sophie. He still looked vibrant and cheerful, excited at the idea of having a new apprentice.

"Isn't this great, Sophie?" he asked delightedly. "Now I won't have to drag you everywhere!"

She rolled her eyes and began to walk away, Howl following her. "Well, that's good news," she said coolly. She was still a bit peeved at Howl's failure to tell her of Rose's letters.

As she was descending the staircase, Howl swept from behind her and whirled to face her. She jumped at his sudden movement, clutching a hand to her chest. When she recovered her senses, she smacked him on the arm.

"Don't do that!" she cried. "I could've fallen, you buffoon!"

Howl laughed, which only served to annoy Sophie further. "I would've caught you, my dear."

She rolled her eyes and sighed in irritation. "Don't tell me about what you _would've _done."

She nudged him aside and finished walking down the stairs. Howl quickly moved in front of her again. Sophie crossed her arms over her chest.

Howl looked at her with concern. "What is it? Are you sick again?"

"I'm through with that," she said quickly. "But… I can't help but wonder why you didn't tell me we were having a new apprentice. I can't see the reasoning behind that."

Howl looked to the floor. _Ah, now he chooses to be embarrassed, _Sophie thought.

"I was going to tell you," he said, "but I kept forgetting. What with all that's going on now, I couldn't find a good time to let you know. Besides, it didn't seem like the most important thing to worry about. And, as you know, a wizard has to have his priorities straightened out…"

Sophie rolled her eyes, but at this point the brunt of her annoyance had subsided. "Whatever you say, Howl. Just… Next time something like this happens, you had better tell me. Okay?"

Howl nodded. "Of course, Sophie. It's impossible to keep anything from you, anyways."

She shook her head at him, though she was smiling. "That's what I like to hear."

Howl grinned brilliantly back at her. Before she could move away, he ducked forward and captured her lips in a short kiss. She sighed as he swept away to his desk.

"How does he manage to do that every time?" she wondered aloud, softly enough that Howl could not hear.

Just then, she heard footsteps. Sophie turned to see Rose descending the staircase. Howl had turned as well, and had leapt up from his chair at the sight of the girl.

"All right!" he exclaimed, looking excited. "Talent show time!"

Rose looked bewildered. "Talent show?" she repeated slowly.

"Don't listen to him," Sophie told her. Rose nodded and gave her a hesitant smile, which Sophie returned. _Having another girl here might actually be nice…_

"Let's see what you've got," said Howl, coming to stand before Rose.

"First," he began thoughtfully, "What magical training do you already have?"

Rose was quick to answer, obviously eager to prove herself worthy. "Well, besides the basic magical knowledge, I was trained briefly by a tutor my mother set me. After that ended, though, I studied on my own, mostly out of books in my mother's library."

Howl nodded. "Okay. What sort of spells have you performed before?"

"Basic spells, I guess," she answered. "Summoning spells, various charms, things like that. I was working on protection enchantments before I set out to come here."

From that, they continued, Howl asking questions and Rose answering eagerly. Sophie listened attentively, surprised at both of them. She was unused to seeing Howl so businesslike, so formal, but then again, he _was _Royal Wizard after all. It was certainly necessary for him to be serious at times.

Rose's extent of magical knowledge was also surprising. The girl appeared to be no older than fifteen, but still she knew more than Sophie had any idea of. Wherever she had come from, she'd clearly been surrounded by magic.

At last, Howl was satisfied. "Well, enough questions," he said. "Let's have a demonstration…"

He walked over to his desk and began rifling through the many spell papers atop it. Rose peered over his shoulder, watching what he was doing. She pointed to a particular spell.

"I'll do this one," she offered. Howl followed her gaze and burst into laughter. He lifted the paper, grinning. Sophie suddenly realized that it was the protective enchantments Howl had been working on for months. She groaned inwardly, hoping Howl would refuse Rose's offer.

Contrary to her wishes, he gave the paper to Rose. "This one?" he asked, and she nodded.

"Well, have at it," he said.

Sophie quickly went to him, prepared to berate him for what was certain to be humiliation on Rose's part. He just held up a hand in her face, a gesture telling her not to speak.

She ignored him. "Are you trying to embarrass her?" she whispered sharply.

He shook his head. "Of course not," he whispered back. "I know it's a long shot, but this girl has talent. Maybe she'll be able to make some sort of breakthrough."

Sophie sighed heavily. "I doubt that."

Howl simply shrugged and returned his attention to Rose. She was studying the parchment intently, reading and re-reading the spell. Suddenly she turned to Howl.

"Where do you keep your supplies?" she asked.

Howl pointed to a cupboard nearby, saying nothing. He looked mildly inquisitive, and Sophie wondered if he actually believed Rose could figure the spell out.

The girl wasted no time, moving quickly to the cupboard. She gathered an armful of materials—candles, chalk, and the like—before returning to Howl's desk. Quickly, almost meticulously, she re-read the spell and got to work.

Sophie watched curiously as she lit the candles, muttering under her breath, and drew a small pentagram on the floor. She had no idea what Rose was doing, and, evidently, neither did Howl. He was watching closely as she chalked runes into the pentagram, glancing occasionally at the spell paper.

"Ingenious," he muttered quietly.

Sophie looked at him in surprise. Was Rose actually figuring the spell out?

Rose drew a final rune and stepped into the pentagram. A brilliant flash of light filled the room, blinding Sophie for a moment. When her eyesight returned, she jumped.

"What's happening?" she asked Howl.

It was as if they'd taken a step in the old seven-league boots in the closet without realizing it. Before them loomed the old mansion she and Howl had visited, as dark and gloomy as ever. Rose was in front of them, still in the pentagram. She looked startled that her magic had actually worked.

"I don't believe it…" Howl said quietly, as if to himself.

Rose, recovering her senses, began to chant. Suddenly the air around them seemed to shake and quiver. Around the house, a bubble of luminescent green light had appeared. They were the protective spells, Sophie realized with a jolt.

The air around them crackled with magic as Rose continued to chant. As she did so, the glowing enchantment shrunk and withered, until it vanished altogether. Still, Rose continued to work. Her hands moved as though she was peeling away layers, and perhaps she was. It was all a mystery to Sophie.

At last Rose said a final word, and they were suddenly back in the moving castle. She stepped out of the pentagram and turned to Sophie and Howl.

"Brilliant," Howl mumbled, watching Rose with awe. He cleared his throat.

"Well, Rose, welcome to the family."

She smiled.

* * *

**Well, there's one problem solved :D**

**Anyways, HI! I like this chapter a lot, for some reason.**

**I hope you guys like Rose - for the most part, I do. She's rad.**

**Reviews are love, as always. Thanks for reading and subscribing and stuff! I LOVE YOU ALL (in a non-creepy way)**


	16. Chapter 16: That Mundane Feeling

Chapter Sixteen: That Mundane Feeling

"Sophie, how much are the bouquets of lilies?"

Sophie turned to see Rose holding a bundle of flowers, looking puzzled. Behind the girl was an impatient-looking man, who kept glancing at his pocket watch.

"The price is above the counter," she answered, smiling and pointing to the sign.

Rose nodded and turned back to the man, passing on the information Sophie had given her.

Sophie smiled as she watched. Rose seemed to be doing exceptionally well in getting used to life with her and Howl. In the morning, she worked in the flower shop with Sophie, filling in for Michael. Afternoons she spent with Howl, learning spells, charms, and who knew what else. Just listening to their lessons made Sophie's head ache.

A customer opened the door, letting in a wave of hot air. The wet July had passed, giving way to an unusually warm August. Sophie didn't mind much, seeing as she only went outside when it was absolutely necessary. She would have liked to be out in the meadows, but Howl had adamantly told Rose to take her place.

"We're not taking any risks whatsoever," Howl insisted, looking entirely serious. Sophie wondered if the manticore's threat was bothering him more than he let on. For her, she was still anxious and worried, but she refused to let it get the better of her. Besides, the first snow could be nowhere near. What with the remarkable heat of late, it felt as though winter would never come.

Business in the shop was rather slow, seeing as there were few flower-giving holidays near. She also sensed that most people didn't want to venture out in the heat, but kept this suspicion to herself. Despite the boredom of the almost-empty shop, though, it was sometimes better than the hectic days when the store was full to bursting.

"Sophie!"

She turned. Howl was standing in the doorway, looking fresh out of the bath. She could practically see the steam rising from him, could practically smell the sweetness of his skin.

"What is it?" she asked, absentmindedly arranging a vase of pansies. "You don't need Rose for another hour or so." Howl rarely ventured into the shop if he could help it, though Sophie had suspicions his presence would actually attract more customers. He tended to stay hidden away in the castle, unless he had business in Kingsbury.

He swept into the room, clearly relishing in the fact that quite a few of the customers' eyes were glued to him. "I actually won't need her today," he said offhandedly, plucking a daisy from a nearby vase. He twirled it lazily between his fingers.

Sophie gave him an odd look. "What do you mean by that?" she asked slowly. Howl grinned as if he had been waiting years for her to ask this. Sophie felt a pang of annoyance at him; he never seemed to stop enjoying the act of puzzling her. The moment he knew something she didn't, he made sure to tease her with it.

With an entirely unnecessary flourish, he removed something from his coat pocket, holding it before Sophie. She grabbed it from his hands. It appeared to be some sort of letter, filled with a curling, formal-looking script. An elaborate signature dominated the bottom of the paper.

After reading the paper, she handed it back to him, feeling rather sour.

"What's this supposed to mean?" she asked heatedly. "You're really going away?"

"King's orders, you know," Howl replied. "It's all quite necessary for the safety of our kingdom."

She rolled her eyes. The letter had been vague, only really serving as a way to let her know that indeed Howl was being sent somewhere by the King. "Of course. But couldn't you have refused? I'm sure Suliman would do fine on his own." She was probably being ridiculous, of course, but what else could she do? The news had been quite sudden.

Howl shook his head, and Sophie caught a whiff of today's perfume. "I'm afraid I have to do this, Sophie," he said. "The King needs us both – no excuses. Besides, I'm sure we won't be away for too long." He gave her a pained look, as if trying to covey just how heartbroken he was over the news. Sophie didn't buy it one bit. She could easily see the excitement in his eyes.

"But still, Howl," Sophie insisted. "It's not exactly the greatest time for you to be away. What about Rose? You won't be able to train her while you're away."

Howl shrugged, a small look of guilt flashing across his face. "I know," he said. "That occurred to me, but I just can't do anything about it. So, while I'm gone, I asked Calcifer to lend her his wisdom. I'm sure he's got plenty of stuff to teach her."

Sophie sighed. "At least you've thought this over." _For about five minutes, probably. _

He looked at her tenderly. "You know as well as I do that I don't want to be doing this."

She nodded, resisting the urge to point out his obvious excitement at this next "adventure". "Whatever you say, Howl." She straightened. "So. When do you leave?"

Howl glanced at the door, slightly biting his lower lip. "I'm expecting Suliman at any moment."

"Oh," she said, trying not to sound surprised. "So soon… Are you packed?"

He nodded confidently. "Entirely! And without needing your help, too." He looked rather pleased at this statement. Sophie couldn't help but feel a small rush of affection for him.

"Amazing," she said sarcastically.

Just then, Calcifer's crackly voice sounded from the castle. "Kingsbury door!" he cried. "It's Suliman."

Howl turned back to Sophie, smiling sadly. "Well," he said. "I'd better be on my way."

Sophie nodded, smiling back. "I guess so." At this point, what could she do? Refuse to let him go? She couldn't, seeing as it was an order from the King.

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead gently before turning to leave.

"Don't get yourself killed or anything," Sophie called after him.

Howl laughed at that. "I'll try. But no guarantees!"


	17. Chapter 17: A New Arrival

Chapter Seventeen: A New Arrival

With Howl absent, things around the Castle quieted down considerably. Sophie found it to be a large relief, not having to clean up after him or entertain his crazy ideas. She and Rose worked in the flower shop daily, having close to nothing else by which to occupy their time.

After nearly a month, though, of Howl being gone, Sophie was beginning to long for his return. There were no longer any explosions of steam from the bathroom each morning, or any green slime to mop up (though Sophie told herself she certainly didn't mind _that _one).

She, Rose, and Calcifer got along well—almost too well. There weren't any raised voices, or slammed doors like there were when Howl was around. Without him to provide for most of the castle's drama, things were a bit on the boring side. In fact, Sophie couldn't remember even feeling the least bit angry—except with herself—since he had departed for who knows where.

Though she'd never admit it (and for good reasons, truly) she was just itching to argue with someone. Realizing this made her fill ill-tempered and angry at herself, but this wasn't the same as being cross with another person.

_I actually _want _to argue? _she wondered as she made the bed one morning in late August. Sophie shook her head at herself. _Even for you, Sophie, that's off. If only Howl was back, I'm sure I could find a handful of things to be cross about. _

It was an odd reason to miss someone, but her feelings were still true as could be. And though she'd probably deny it, needing to argue probably wasn't her only reason for wanting Howl back.

She found herself staring longingly at Howl's desk, wishing for him to magically appear. She was lonely, yes, but not unbearably so. Despite how boring things were without him, she wasn't about to do anything rash. No cliff-jumping for Sophie Pendragon, oh no.

On a particularly dreary morning, Sophie awoke to the sound of footsteps on the stairs. She groaned sleepily and sat up. Glancing at the other side of the bed—empty, of course—she climbed out from under the covers. She glanced at the window, barely registering that it was raining in Wales.

The door flew open and Sophie jumped. Michael stood in the doorway, looking incredibly stressed.

"What is it?" she asked drowsily, wondering what in the world could be the matter.

"M-Martha!" he sputtered. "And… The baby! It's coming!"

At this, she shocked fully awake. "What?" she asked incredulously. She was already searching for a dress to wear. Her head was still cloudy with sleep, and her joints achy, but she knew she had to get moving. It didn't help that her growing belly felt like a fifty-pound weight at that moment.

"Just a minute, Michael," she told him. "Wait for me downstairs, okay?"

He nodded shakily and closed the door behind him. Sophie quickly got to work, trading her nightgown for a dress she'd borrowed from Martha (Sophie had yet to go maternity shopping, though she knew she needed to). She dragged a comb through her hair and yanked on her boots.

She careened down the stairs like a missile, knowing Michael would be growing more and more anxious each second. He was waiting at the door, looking jittery. Calcifer was watching him, obviously highly amused.

"Alright," she said. "Let's go."

Michael practically dragged her out the door and onto the street. He seemed in way too large of a hurry to get back to Martha. Sophie could understand his impatience, though.

"You do realize she's not going anywhere?" Sophie remarked breathily. She wasn't exactly loving that they were sprinting so early in the morning. It felt like half her brain was still in sleep mode, and her muscles certainly weren't reacting well to the sudden movement.

"I-I know," Michael gasped. "It's just…I don't want to leave her, Sophie…I can't."

Something in his words rang true to Sophie, though she couldn't explain why. All this was making her think of what awaited her in a little less than six months. The thought resided heavily in her chest. She peered at Michael thoughtfully. Would Howl be this way when _she _was on the verge of giving birth? She hoped not, or else he'd be completely useless when the time came.

A minute later, they arrived at Martha and Michael's house. It was a small cottage not far from the edge of town, but it was very homey and charming, with flower-filled window-boxes and a mint green exterior. In her opinion, it was perfect for the young couple, soon to be young family.

They burst into the cottage and Michael tugged Sophie into the room he and Martha shared. It was dim and candlelit, with heavy curtains over the windows. Some sort of comforting incense was burning on the small table in the corner.

Sophie immediately went to Martha's side. She was tucked into the bed, swathed in blankets and pillows. Michael had obviously seen to it that she was in the utmost comfort. He stood on her other side, already clutching tightly to Martha's hand.

"Sophie!" Martha cried happily. There was sweat on her brow and she seemed to be in some sort of pain, but she looked immensely relieved to see her sister.

"Feeling alright?" Sophie asked.

Martha shrugged, smiling. "I've been better. Don't worry, though."

Sophie nodded. "Just remember, I'll need a play-by-play report of how you're feeling. I need to know how painful it'll be." She was only joking, though a small part of her was eager to know what to expect.

Martha laughed weakly at that, though her smile was soon contorted into a pained grimace. Her huge belly stuck up under the layers of blankets like a hill. Sophie bit her lip. She hated, just _hated_ seeing Martha in such pain. Her sweet little sister didn't deserve it. She wanted to do something, _anything, _to help her, but knew there was nothing she could do.

Just then, the door opened and in walked Mrs. Fairfax. She looked at Michael and Sophie, smiling, then turned directly to Martha. A bulging bag was tucked under one arm.

"Hello, dear," she said gently, placing a hand on Martha's shoulder. Martha smiled weakly up at her. Mrs. Fairfax smiled back and placed the bag she had been carrying on the bed. Sophie watched curiously as she pulled out jars of what were probably honey-infused medicines.

"The midwife has arrived!" she declared in response to Sophie's puzzled expression. Mrs. Fairfax then turned her attention back to Martha, who was once again wincing in pain.

The witch went to work then, feeding Martha spoonfuls of medicine and readying her to give birth. She was obviously very experienced, handling it all with precision and care. Sophie was relieved to have her—Martha already appeared to be suffering less, though her breath was hitching and sweat was pooling on her forehead.

She and Michael stood back a bit while Mrs. Fairfax worked, both watching in admiration. Michael looked a bit less worried than before, though he still winced every time Martha did. Sophie found this to be slightly amusing.

"She'll be fine, Michael," Sophie whispered to him. "Quit worrying."

He sighed, not tearing his eyes from his wife. "I know, I know… But I just can't help it. I feel like I'm the one giving birth."

Sophie chuckled at this. "It'll be over soon..." _Hopefully._

Michael just sighed loudly.

…

An hour later, Michael was finally able to calm down. With a particularly painful cry, Martha had given birth. She was now fast asleep, having been completely exhausted.

Michael held the baby gently in his arms, gazing down at her with a mix of admiration and blatant awe. _Ivy, _they had decided to call her.

"She's beautiful," Michael murmured. Sophie smiled, nodding in agreement. Ivy's cheeks were pink and round, and she had a small tuft of curly blonde hair at the top of her head.

_This situation will be mine soon, _she thought. Soon it would be _her _baby they all fawned over, _her _child in her arms. She liked this part of it much more than the pain Martha went through earlier, though of course she couldn't have the rainbow without the rain.

"Shame Howl isn't here," Michael remarked.

Sophie nodded. "I know. He'd probably stress the baby out, though. He can be a bit overbearing at times, you know."

Michael chuckled. "That's true."

"Also, the sight of Martha giving birth would probably stress him out," she added. "Since I'll have to go through that after a while."

Michael nodded. "You're probably right. Say, do you know when he'll be back?"

She shook her head. "No idea. I doubt _he_ even knows."

"I'm sure it won't be long."

Sophie nodded. "I hope you're right."


	18. Chapter 18: With Time

Chapter Eighteen: With Time

With the slightly unexpected arrival of Martha and Michael's daughter, things quickly grew busy for Sophie. One the one hand, she was occupied with keeping the flower shop running smoothly; on the other, she was constantly running errands for the baby, fetching food and supplies like her life depended on it.

She had a rather strong feeling Calcifer was highly amused by all of this.

Sophie also grew to know Mrs. Fairfax quite well, seeing as Martha swore devoutly by her honey-infused goods. She was often given medicine jars for her own well-being, which she received gratefully but with some apprehension. Though she knew Mrs. Fairfax was a good witch in her own right, Sophie had a feeling that the ointments and syrups could only go so far. The products she piled up in the cluttered bathroom, stacked next to an odd assortment of Howl's aesthetic tinctures and magic powders.

She had still received no news from him. Though she was far too busy to be truly worried, Sophie couldn't help but wonder at what he was doing and when he would return. In that sense, she was actually rather happy to have something to keep her busy and surrounded by people.

In the meanwhile, Rose was studying a great deal with Calcifer. The apprentice seemed to have taken a great liking to the sharp-witted demon. As far as affections went for Calcifer, he seemed to enjoy her company as well.

All in all, as the September leaves crunched beneath her feet wherever she went, things certainly appeared to be going quite well. Her busy schedule was so far doing its job in keeping her from dwelling too long on anything negative.

The only negative thing that seemed truly lodged in her heart—apart from Howl's absence—was the fact that autumn had arrived. Winter would come before too long, she knew, and with it would be the season's first snowfall. It was a normally beautiful time stained by the manticore's taint.

Sophie recalled what she knew was inevitable one afternoon as she stood in the small backyard of Martha and Michael's cottage. Far in the distance she could just barely make out the jagged outlines of the arid peaks of the Waste. Somewhere out there the manticore lurked, waiting for the onset of winter.

A crisp breeze ruffled her hair, warning Sophie of the coldness to come. Her hands were clasped once again over her growing belly as she looked off into the distance. Truly, it wouldn't be long until she'd be in Martha's current position. That was, if she somehow managed to figure out the manticore's riddle before it was too late…

Sophie sighed heavily. Her thoughts were a whirlwind of worry and hope. She had come outside to clear her thoughts and get away from the hectic comings and goings of ordinary life, but now her own mind would provide her no relief.

She heard crackling footsteps behind her as someone walked out to join her. She turned to find Martha slowly making her way to stand beside Sophie.

"Are you sure you should be outside?" Sophie asked, worry creasing her brow. "What about Ivy?"

Martha laughed, waving a hand at her. "Listen to you!" she said. "You're like Mother used to be!"

Sophie crossed her arms over her chest. "Can I help worrying?" she asked. "You might not be well enough to be outside yet. And we can't afford to have you collapsing."

Martha just smiled.

"Do you feel all right?" Sophie asked.

Martha nodded. "Wonderful, actually." She looked out, admiring the view the backyard allowed. "I haven't been outside in ages…" she mused, closing her eyes as a breeze swept around them. "Fresh air at last!"

Sophie laughed along with her. "Well, I'm glad you're doing well," she said. "Hopefully you'll be able to do your own errands soon."

"I imagine so, but Michael's so worried still," she said. "I had to sneak out here, if you'll believe me."

"He's stressed so easily."

Martha nodded. "He is. But what can a girl do?" She sighed lightly, smiling.

Sophie smiled back as Martha looked ahead again. She suddenly felt an overwhelming rush of affection for her sister, accompanied by a slight twinge of nostalgia.

_She's grown up so quickly… _It felt like just yesterday when she was having to separate a squabbling Martha and Lettie, and even sooner when she was watching Michael chasing after her affections. Where had the time gone? All of a sudden Martha, her baby sister, was a mother.

"I can hardly believe it," Martha murmured, as if she was reading Sophie's thoughts. "How has all of this happened? Time really flies."

Sophie nodded. "It does… Really, I can hardly believe the turn things have taken. It's strange to think that only two years ago you were pretending to be Lettie and I was still working in the hat shop."

Martha chuckled at the recollection. "Yes, and my how things have changed. Well, mostly things are different for you, Sophie. I'm still working at Cesari's, and though now I have Ivy and Michael, it's nothing compared to what you went through."

Sophie shrugged. "I suppose."

"I mean, honestly! You were turned into an old woman, and began living with Howl the Heart-Eater!"

"As if I could forget…"

"And you defeated the Witch of the Waste!" Martha continued. "And ended up married to a wizard!"

Sophie sighed. "You make it sound so dramatic, Martha."

"And dramatic is bad?"

They both whirled around at the words.

Howl. Howl was back.

He was smiling brilliantly, looking bright and cheery if not a bit travelworn. Sophie gaped at him as Michael rushed outside behind him.

"I told him I would fetch you," he said, looking apologetic. "But he insisted on coming to you himself."

Sophie's throat felt dry and closed, as if it were stuffed with paper. Her mind seemed unable to function as she stared, openmouthed, at Howl.

Martha stepped forward, nudging Michael gently. "Let's leave them alone," she whispered. He nodded and reluctantly followed her inside.

"I'm sorry I couldn't write you," Howl said, moving closer to Sophie. "Government rules."

Feelings rushed into her heart then, like a dam had broken. She was annoyed at Howl for leaving in the first place, she was angry at him for looking so smug, but besides all of that, she was so, so undeniably _happy. _

"It's all right," she breathed, finally finding her voice.

Howl beamed. "That's wonderful." He stepped closer. Sophie could smell his usual flowery perfume, laced over with the scents of Kingsbury and wilderness.

"Did you miss me?" he asked expectantly.

Sophie rolled her eyes at him. "Well, it was quiet without you. Peaceful, too." But she was smiling quite uncontrollably, reminding her of that day so long ago when her spell had come off at last and she and Howl had first talked of their future.

Howl looked insulted. "Is that all you have to say? I've been gone for _ages, _Sophie!" He was grinning as well, looking as though the sun shone only for him.

"It's not my fault you can't refuse the King," she said teasingly.

"Oh, if only I could."

They stood silently for a moment or two, just smiling and smiling at each other. The two of them probably could have stayed like that for an eternity, had Sophie not leaned forward, capturing Howl's lips in a sweet kiss.

"Glad you're back," she whispered, pulling away.

"Glad" didn't even begin to explain her feelings then.

* * *

**I'm baaaack :D**

**Sorry it's a bit late... I would've had it up a couple of days ago, but alas the dear little doc manager wouldn't work. And then yesterday I was kinda sorta sick. So.**

**Anyhow, hope this was up to par and such! **


	19. Chapter 19:

Chapter Nineteen: _Creatures of the Deepest Fantasy_

"Nice to see you've decided to return."

Howl stared at Calcifer as though he'd completely forgotten about him. His face lit up and he began to laugh, loudly and heartily.

"Good to see you too, Calcifer," he said, chest heaving for air as he laughed. "You make it sound as though it was my decision to leave."

He received a mighty crackling of flames in response.

Sophie chuckled lightly to herself and focused her attention on the huge, bulging bag Howl had brought with him. After their little private reunion in the backyard, she had followed Howl inside to where he'd put his things.

She watched the bag with some apprehension. Doubtless it contained any number of unwashed clothes—Howl never was very enthusiastic about laundry—that he would be expecting her to take care of. Luckily, Howl was wearing far too much perfume for her to be able to catch the stench of it all.

He seemed to notice her gaze. "See something interesting?"

"I didn't realize you'd packed your whole closet."

Howl choked for a moment, while Sophie stifled her laughter. Once he'd finished embarrassing himself, he shot her a withering look.

"I'll have you know I only brought along what was entirely necessary."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course you did." She sighed. "I suppose I'll be doing the laundry tomorrow?"

He instantly put on his most angelic expression. "If you wouldn't mind it…"

"'If you wouldn't mind it,' my hat!" she grumbled. "I have no choice anyways."

"You're wonderful, Sophie," Howl gushed. "Truly."

She muttered a noncommittal response and grabbed the hulking bag. Doing Howl's laundry really wouldn't be too bad; she needed to take care of hers and Rose's, anyway. And though she'd be hesitant to admit it, the happiness of having Howl back far outweighed the tediousness and stench of doing laundry.

Just then, the door to the courtyard opened and Rose stepped inside. She made a small noise of surprise upon seeing Howl.

"You're back!"

He grinned dashingly. "I am indeed. Have things been well with you?"

Rose nodded. "I've been studying with Calcifer a lot, like you told me to."

"Ah. What have you been working on?"

Rose began listing everything she and Calcifer had covered. Sophie, noticing Howl had gone into teacher-mode, nodded firmly to herself and headed upstairs in search of more dirty clothes.

As she was carrying a reasonably hefty armful of her own dresses, she felt an odd weight against her wrist. Intrigued, she set the gowns down on her bed and took a good look at them.

There was a rectangular bulge in the pocket of the top gown. Puzzled, Sophie reached in and felt her fingers close around what felt like some sort of leather binding. Her memory sparked at the texture, but it wasn't until she pulled the item out and beheld its gray color that she remembered.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "The book!" She smacked her forehead with her hand. "How could I have forgotten?"

Sophie quickly flipped open _Creatures of the Deepest Fantasy _to the dog-eared page titled _Manticores. _The laundry forgotten entirely, she began to read.

_The Manticore is a highly dangerous Greek Beast with the head of a Man, the body of a Lion, and the tail of a Scorpion. As dangerous as the Chimaera, and as rare, the Manticore is reputed to croon softly as it devours its Prey. Manticore skin repels almost all known Charms and the sting causes instant Death. _

_Like the Sphinx, the Manticore is known to possess a grand knowledge of Riddles. In history, the creature has been known to threaten Death unto one who is unable to answer its Riddle. While many of the Manticore's Riddles are considered unsolvable, a good number of them are kept in various Records and Archives. Upon answering its Riddle correctly, however, the Manticore has been known to become enraged. Certain Death results. _

The next entry began then. Sophie slowly shut the book as her thoughts began to race uncontrollably.

She didn't know whether to celebrate or grieve. On one hand, it was possible the manticore's riddle was recorded somewhere, along with its answer. Sophie's hopes had surged upon reading this, only to crash down again. Even if she somehow _did _figure out the riddle by some stroke of incredible luck, there was a strong chance the manticore would kill her anyway.

She huffed out a breath, placing the book down on the bed, beside the dresses.

"Never easy, is it?" she muttered. "Anyhow, I'd better take advantage of this."

But where could she find a record of manticore riddles? It seemed improbable that any books on the subject would be for sale anywhere, and even the decently sized public library of Market Chipping was unlikely to have anything useful.

Of course, she could scour the libraries and antique bookshops of Kingsbury, but who knew how long that would take? She needed the best, and she needed it rather quickly.

"Perhaps Calcifer would know..?"

She hurried downstairs, ignoring Rose and Howl, who were seated at his desk. From the look of it, they were fully focused on Rose's studies. Sophie came to a halt before Calcifer. He gave her a skeptical glance.

"What happened to the laundry?"

"It can wait," she said quickly, eager to get to the point. "Calcifer, can you tell me where the greatest collection of books in Ingary is?"

The fire demon seemed surprised. "Books?"

She nodded. "Yes, books. I don't care what type. Well, preferably old ones, I suppose…"

"The Royal Library."

"Hmm?"

"The Royal Library," Calcifer repeated. "If you're looking for a large collection of antique books, it's the place for you. Problem is, it isn't open to the public."

"Oh, but don't you think I'd be allowed because of Howl?"

Calcifer made a shrugging movement. "Possibly. The way things are now, though—what with the war and everything—the King may not feel quite so obliging. In any case, he'd only allow you in if Howl was with you." He paused. "Oh, but what would I know? I'm just a fire demon."

Sophie rolled her eyes, but she was already focused on Calcifer's words. The Royal Library… It certainly seemed a likely place for what she was looking for. She glanced over to Howl.

But when would she have a chance to see the library?

* * *

**At last, the possibility of a breakthrough!**

**Sorry this chapter's a little on the short side. I like it, though!**

**I hope you can expect this story to get more interesting and stuff from now on, because I've gone through my outline and changed things up a bit. Honestly, I had some pointlessness in there. Sigh.**

**I'm excited for the next chapter :D. I always like the ones where they aren't just lurking around at home. Okay, now I'm sounding like a reviewer or something. Haha. **

**Anyways, thanks for reading! To all my silent readers, if you wanna review I promise I won't kidnap you! **

**I think I've talked enough now. Okay. Okay. Bye!**


	20. Chapter 20: A Little Research

Chapter Twenty: A Little Research

Sophie's chance to see the Royal Library came sooner than she had expected. She awoke one morning to find Howl bustling about their room, throwing clothes around the room in a frenzy. She jolted up, resenting the way her bulging belly was making it progressively more difficult to sit up and move.

"What in the world are you doing?"

Howl jumped at the sound of her voice, though he continued in his search. A stack of bright suits was over his shoulder, and another pile lay on the bed.

"I have to look presentable for the King, don't I?"

She gave him an odd look. "The King?"

He nodded absently, heaving a checkered sleeve out of a knot of clothes. "He's summoned me again…" he muttered. "Can't think of why, but who knows? Sometimes I wonder why I accepted this post. Even with Suliman around, I get most of the work."

Sophie rubbed the sleep from her eyes, a plan already forming in her head. "You're just lazy, Howl," she said, slowly climbing out of the bed.

"Nonsense," he said. "Now that you're up, mind helping me find a suit? I swore I left one out last night…"

"You didn't."

"Well, I've obviously realized that by now."

She rolled her eyes. "How about that one?" she asked, gesturing to a flamboyant red suit.

How immediately shook his head. "I've worn that one already. I need the new one. You know, the nice silver one I bought last week."

Sophie vaguely recalled the suit, though it was certainly past her where it could be. She peered into the cluttered closet. There was always the possibility that her eyes would find what Howl's slid over. It was doubtful, though, seeing how messy and disorganized it was in there.

She was about to tell Howl how hopeless it was, but her eyes suddenly caught a flash of silver. Her arm jolted out as she pointed at a stack of discarded clothes. "There!"

Howl looked around cluelessly for a moment before he reached out and grabbed the protruding silver sleeve. "At last! Thank you, Sophie…" He untangled the suit from the stack and held it out before him, examining it carefully.

"Well, it looks to be fine," he said, biting his lip. "Still, I must admit I'm not particularly excited about this summons. What if he wants Suliman and me to go on another of his quests?"

He sighed loudly. "Oh, well. Can't be helped."

He stood and began to walk glumly for the door. Before he could leave, however, Sophie stood and said, "I could go."

He eyed her for a moment, considering her offer. "You'd see the King for me?"

She nodded. "Of course. I've done it before, you know."

Howl grimaced, obviously remembering Sophie's failed attempt at blackening his name. "Yes, but that didn't work out so well, did it?"

"Well, I doubt this is quite as important."

Howl shrugged. "True. Are you up-to-date on current events, though?"

"Of course," she said. "I could take Rose, for extra assurance, if that helps."

Howl looked convinced at this offer. He handed her the silver suit, and motioned for her to follow. They walked down to Howl's desk, where he proceeded to dig through a paper-filled drawer.

For the second time that morning, Sophie asked, "What in the world are you doing?"

"Looking for the spell, of course."

She gave him a confused look, to which he responded, "The spell to turn you into me."

"What?"

He shot her a dubious look. "You didn't think it would be fine for you to just waltz up to the palace and tell the King you're taking my place, did you? That's insane, Sophie! As kind as he can be at times, the King won't settle for the wife of a wizard. Even if she herself has a considerable amount of magic of her own. No, you must be me."

A feeling of dread rose in Sophie's chest. "What if I'm caught? Someone's bound to notice, Howl."

"It'll be fine," he insisted, winking.

Though Sophie was loath to drop all her worries, she allowed her nerves to be soothed. If she didn't take this opportunity, when else might she have a chance to search the Royal Library?

Just then, Rose walked in from the meadows, baskets of flowers in hand. Sophie watched amusedly as Howl explained the plan to her. He looked excited, not at all as though he was the least bit worried.

Shortly after, Sophie found herself feeling considerably lighter, and taller, as she stared into the twinkling eyes of the real Howl.

"Perfect," he breathed, looking her over. Sophie wasn't entirely sure if he was remarking on his magic, or his looks.

"I pass?" she asked, startling a bit at the change in her voice.

He nodded. "Most definitely. Now, seeing as it's a quarter past eight and the King wants me—you—at nine, I think we'd best be going."

"We?"

"I've got some business to attend to," he explained. "Don't worry about me."

Sophie was still slightly puzzled. Nevertheless, she headed for the door—the Kingsbury knob already down—with Rose in tow. The silver suit was stiff and constricting, but at least she was without the usual heavy weight on her stomach.

"Good luck," called the real Howl behind her, as she opened the door.

…

_So far so good, _Sophie thought. The heels of Howl's expensive boots clicked on the street as she walked toward the palace. Rose was beside her, obviously still taking in the whole of Kingsbury's grandiosity. Sophie would have admired the city as well, if it was not for her need to keep up Howl's aloofness.

Grandly-clad people walked about the large courtyard before the palace. Small stalls were set up around them, though Sophie steered clear. She kept her eyes focused on the brilliant golden domes of the palace, glinting in the sunlight. Though it was October, she still felt a bit stuffy in the silver suit.

She kept her head high, exuding that air of confidence Howl always had, It was practically exhausting, but she was much too nervous to drop her guard.

"This was a ridiculous idea," she muttered to herself as they drew ever closer to the palace. "We'll be caught, and maybe I finally _will _have blackened Howl's name."

Rose wasn't much help to Sophie's prickly nerves. She was equally nervous, as she was continuously smoothing down the front of her skirt and peering about. It was her first trip to see the King, after all.

They reached the huge flight of steps leading to the palace entrance, and this time Sophie had no difficulty in climbing them, though she couldn't help but feel the ghost of aching joints. She thanked her stars that she was no longer an old woman, even if Howl's suit was nearly suffocating.

The butler waiting inside the entrance inquired politely after their business, and they were quickly handed off from servant to servant, often with little more than a gesture in the right direction. They obviously figured that Howl would know where to go.

After a whirlwind of long corridors and elaborately-dressed servants, Sophie and Rose found themselves in a dimly-lit chamber. An enormous wooden table dominated the room. It was almost entirely covered with papers and maps, with pens and inkpots scattered across it.

"You're rather early."

Sophie's head jerked up from the table. She peered forward to see none other than the King himself sitting at the table's head.

She bowed lightly. "Your Majesty."

"I'm glad you've come. Since Suliman's come already, I'm eager to begin."

She nodded and pulled out a chair, Rose following suit. She smiled slightly at Suliman, who had been poring over a sheaf of yellow papers.

"Who might she be?" the King asked, taking notice of Rose.

Sophie tried her best to seem offhand as she introduced the apprentice. Her nerves were absolutely on edge. With both the King and Suliman around, someone was bound to notice they weren't really in the company of Howl.

"I've been waiting for you to come," Suliman said. "He refused to let go any information until you came."

Sophie laughed uneasily. Well, it seemed Suliman hadn't noticed anything yet.

"I imagine it's something to do with Strangia," she said. With the recent war having left matters tense between the two kingdoms, she couldn't imagine what else the summons could be about. That was, unless they were focused more on something unknown…

"It is," the King admitted, to Sophie's relief. Upon closer examination, he looked rather exhausted.

"I hope you aren't calling us out again," Suliman said quickly. "I've a wedding to plan, and Howl's expecting a baby soon."

The King shook his head, and Sophie breathed a small sigh of relief.

"I won't be long, I promise you," he said. "I've really only called you here to inform you of the new plan I've devised to ease matters in Strangia…"

He launched into a detailed explanation, which left Sophie wondering how in the world she'd be able to fill Howl in on everything. She was bound to leave some important detail out…

They discussed it for a bit, and once again Sophie feared her discovery. Multiple times the king turned to her for advice on magical subjects she had no knowledge of.

Luck seemed to be on her side, however. Either Rose would offer an idea, or Suliman would interrupt just in time. Sophie had half a mind to wonder whether the wizard might know something, but how could she possibly ask?

After what felt like an eternity of nerve-wracking questioning and debating, the King shut his enormous notebook and bid them leave. Suliman, with a tip of the hat, was quick to exit.

"Might I have access to the library for a bit?" Sophie asked nervously as she stood.

"Of course, of course," the King said tiredly. "Take as much time as you need."

She nodded, bowed, and left. She and Rose were quickly directed to two huge oak doors. They swung open to reveal rows upon rows of ceiling-tall bookcases, stretching out into the dark distance.

"I suppose now would be a good time to ask if you've learned any summoning charms, Rose?" she asked. The idea of searching the vast library without some sort of magic was a hopeless, almost frightening one. Out of all those books, who knew how many contained what she was looking for?

"I know a few…"

Sophie breathed a sigh of relief, thanking her stars that she'd brought Rose along.

"Good. All right, I need books on riddles. More specifically, riddles told by manticores or sphinxes." Her tone was firm, assured; they needed to be quick, and thorough, as she knew she couldn't dally too long in the Library.

Rose nodded, and Sophie took a moment to peer around the huge room as the apprentice began the spell. She headed for a nearby table, but was startled as the sound of rustling pages filled the room. She looked up to see books and scrolls flying through the air towards Rose, who looked terrified.

"Stop!" she yelled, waving her arms wildly. Common sense warned that talking to the books would do no good, yet they suddenly froze before her eyes.

"Now," she said sternly, pointing to the floor. "Slowly, and I mean slowly, stack yourselves up on the floor."

With a much quieter rustle, the books followed her orders. Rose looked at her, wide-eyed.

"Well, let's get to work," Sophie said seriously. The apprentice nodded, watching her with admiration, and they lifted armfuls of the heavy books. They moved to the table Sophie had spotted, carefully removing the crinkled scrolls that had been covering it.

"Search for anything related to manticores or the like," she said, already rifling through her own stack. Rose nodded.

Sophie lost track of time for a bit, as she searched through every book for mention of anything helpful. Several books seemed useful, and she placed those on the floor beside her; but all too many books were utterly fruitless, containing only the simplest of riddles, or only describing the creation of a riddle, or its composition.

"We ought to leave soon…" she mumbled after a while, stretching her sore arms. Her eyes were dry, and ached dully, from staring at pages, most of which were faded and yellow.

"Have you found anything?"

She shrugged. "I found a few promising books. I figure the King won't mind if we borrow a couple, eh?"

Rose looked uncertain, but she nodded, tucking a few books into her pockets. Sophie grinned and did the same.

They found their way out if the palace rather easily, as the palace servants seemed all too eager to have them out of the way. Sophie was beginning her descent of the stairs when a light tap came on her shoulders. Rose was already at the bottom, having practically leaped down them.

"You certainly took your time."

She smiled uneasily at Suliman. Why had he waited for them?

"I had some research to do," she said, as Suliman fell into step beside her.

He chuckled. "Excellent. Next time, though you ought to tell me when you sneak about."

"What are you talking about?"

Suliman winked, and for a moment his dark eyes flashed blue.

"_Howl?" _

He grinned. "I told you it'd be fine."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "That's really awful, Howl! How did you get Suliman to agree to that?"

"Oh, I have my ways. Let's just say he wasn't eager to attend the summons either."

Sophie rolled her eyes. "Of course." She sighed. "That was terrible, Howl. I was so nervous, you wouldn't believe it. Remind me never to let you turn me into something again."

He laughed. "Oh, well I think you'd look quite fetching as a cat."


	21. Chapter 21: Winter's Warning

Chapter Twenty-One: Winter's Warning

"There are clouds gathering in the east."

Sophie glanced to Howl, who was staring worriedly out the window. He was swathed in a dark blanket that went down to his ankles, looking oddly like a lost child.

"So?"

He spoke without tearing his eyes from the window. "They're headed this way. Might be nothing, but I can't be sure."

She immediately felt his concern, realizing what he meant.

Snow.

Sophie's anxiety rose, but she resolved to stay calm. "I doubt it's cold enough yet for snow, Howl." Her words were more for her own nerves than his, though she dreaded the idea of an anxious Howl.

He muttered a curse under his breath, his eyes flickering to her for a moment. "It could be bad, Sophie," he said, gnawing slightly on his lower lip. "I'm weak – I wouldn't be able to hold off the manticore for long."

"You're fine," she insisted. "Since when has a simple cold kept you from working magic?" The memories of his messy sickness before were still present, but she doubted he'd be the same. At that time, there were no pressing dangers. Now, there were, to say the least.

Rose came up behind them, a steaming mug of tea cupped in her hands. She held it out to Howl, who eagerly grabbed it, a question in her eyes.

"You look worried."

Sophie sighed. "It's nothing, Rose. I—"

"There might be snow on the way," Howl interjected, earning himself a withering look from Sophie.

Rose followed his gaze out the window, eyes instantly fixing upon the stirring dark mass of clouds to the east.

"It's only November," she said consolingly, "I don't think it would actually snow…" She trailed off, doubt written across her face.

"There's a chance, though," Howl stated gravely, though his serious words were made almost comical by the loud sniffle that followed.

Certainly he would think he looked "utterly disheveled", though Sophie would have to disagree. The only evidence of his illness was a slight redness to his face, and of course the loud sniffs he gave every ten seconds or so.

Sophie groaned inwardly. Both Howl and Rose seemed awfully serious. It wasn't going to improve her mood; if anything, it would make her feel even more hopeless.

"It's off quite a ways," she pointed out hopefully. "If it's even coming this way, it won't hit for another couple of hours. Isn't that time enough to draw up a plan?"

Howl shrugged. "Well, normally, yes. But in my current state…" He sniveled pathetically.

Sophie rolled her eyes at him. "In your current state, you'll be just the same, trust me. In the meanwhile, as I see no point in wasting around, waiting for the snow to come, I'm heading out."

Howl's head jerked up, his eyes flashing. "You can't leave!"

"And why is that?"

"If it _does_ snow, and you're out by yourself, you won't stand a chance."

Sophie bristled, crossing her arms over her chest. "You think I'm that useless?"

Howl looked exasperated. "No, I—Anyways, you probably shouldn't be walking anywhere. I don't want you to strain yourself."

"That's ridiculous," Sophie retorted, though she had to admit that walking—waddling, more like—was getting to be quite a pain.

"Please—just stay, alright?" Howl pleaded, looking earnestly concerned for her.

And, because of Sophie's complete and utter firmness of character, she agreed to stay in the castle.

"I'd meant to pay Mrs. Fairfax a visit, though," she remarked, seating herself at the couch in front of the fireplace. Calcifer gave her a measuring look.

"You don't seem worried."

She heaved out a sigh. "You think so?" She leaned back, letting her head sink into the plush pillows. "What a relief."

"Ah, so you're truly anxious," Calcifer said intuitively.

Sophie nodded slowly, not allowing herself to glance around for Howl. He was probably digging around for any useful spells, along with Rose.

"I'm not ready for this," she said quietly, letting the words slip from her lips. "I know Howl and Rose are worried for me, but they just can't understand…Well, maybe Howl can—it's _his _child, after all, and I…I don't know, Calcifer. When it all comes down to it, I'm really just scared."

"I'm not very good at therapy, Sophie…"

She chuckled lightly, allowing a small smile to form on her face. "That's all right; I'm not expecting counseling." She sat up slowly. "Do you think we're in danger?"

There was silence for a moment, before Calcifer spoke, voice crackly, "Aren't we always?"

Sophie gave him a sharp look for the non-answer.

"To be honest, I'm not sure," the fire demon said grudgingly. "The clouds are too far away to tell. There's a possibility, though. Once night falls, it's even more likely."

Sophie glanced to the window. The sun was beginning its descent.

She stood up. "Well, I suppose we'll just have to hope for the best."

…

Raindrops pounded against the roof, jolting Sophie from her sleep. She glanced to the window, muttering a curse when she remembered it looked out on Wales, not Ingary. To make matters worse, the rain wasn't from there—from what little she could see in the darkness, it was a clear night in Wales.

So the clouds had come to Market Chipping. Sophie couldn't help but feel a sinking in her heart; some part of her had been holding on to the hope that the night would remain clear, cloudless.

On the positive hand, it was only rain—fat, heavy drops that plopped loudly onto the roof. But who knew if it would _stay _rain? It was borderline frigid in the bedroom. It would take only a slight dip in the temperature outside for snow to form.

And then what?

Would the manticore appear out of thin air, demanding for her baby? Or would it come running from the Waste, and wait, like a sentinel of death, at the castle door? Which would be more terrifying? She doubted the manticore would wait for her to come to it, and there was sure to be no running away. Where was there to go, anyway? The manticore would find her, wherever she went.

Howl stirred in his sleep, mumbling something unintelligible.

Sophie sighed lightly, gazing at him for a moment. He looked so peaceful, so unlike how he was while awake. The worried creases on his forehead had vanished, his anxious expression replaced with a calm one, his mouth curved slightly upward.

"I'm sorry, Howl," she whispered. "If it weren't for me, none of this would be around to worry you."

His eyes opened, nearly causing her to jump. He smiled tiredly at her.

"Don't apologize," he said softly. He looked up at the ceiling, as if visualizing the rain above them. "If anything, it's my fault. I should've known this would happen."

"It hasn't happened yet, really."

He smiled. Despite the darkness in the room, Howl's eyes sparkled with a light of their own. "That's true, Sophie. I'm glad _someone _is here to keep me from drowning in my own despair."

She laughed at his melodramatic tone. "I'll always be there to pull you up."

"I know."

She snuggled in closer to him, relishing the heat he gave off.

"It's freezing in here," she muttered, nestling her head into the crook of his neck. The feel of his chest moving steadily up and down soothed her jangled nerves.

"I know," he said. "But the bed's nice and warm."

They smiled, and lay in companionable silence for a moment. The pounding of the raindrops on the roof was a steady tattoo, and an ominous reminder of the danger they were in. It filled the silence of the room.

"I love you, Howl," she said suddenly. "So much. I just want you to know that, in case the worst happens."

"As do I," he responded, an obvious smile in his voice. "So much that it's almost too much to bear, sometimes."

"What do you mean?" she asked, trying not to sound hurt.

"I can't stand the idea of your suffering, your pain. It's difficult, having a heart in sync with someone. In some ways, it makes you weak. You're suddenly experiencing another's emotions—another's sadness, another's grief.

"But in other ways, it makes you stronger. Now that I have you, I'm never alone. I have a reason to keep moving forward, even when I'm not sure where to go. And nothing is better than sharing your happiness, your triumphs, your love."

Sophie was speechless. An "I love you too" was as much as she'd expected from Howl. He'd never been one for grand speeches, except at unexpected times—like now, or when he spoke as they flew with the wind back to the castle, after escaping the Waste.

"We'll get through this, I promise you," he said, staring up at the ceiling still.

"Of course we will," Sophie agreed firmly, actually believing her tone of confidence. "We're Howl and Sophie Pendragon, wizard and part-time sorceress, respectively."

* * *

**Greetings!**

I actually feel really happy with this chapter :3 HUZZAH!

Though, I'm wondering, was some of that too sappy/lame? I'm not sure...hmmmmm

ANYWHOWHATWHENWHEREWHYHOW

I know you'll all be uber-disappointed and heartbroken (that's called sarcasm, my dear children) to hear that this story is finally drawing to a close.

Of course, we haven't exactly reached the climax yet, BUT it's soon. I've got about 3 more chapters to go! Yuss!

I'm also working on a really creepy, cracky fic. It's a No.6/Pokemon crossover. /facepalm I know it's weird ok. I might publish that, once I've finished it.

Mehhh this note is long. Sorry! Well, until next time you awesome people!


	22. Chapter 22: Wedding Bells

**A/N: It's kind of been forever, I know! I'm really sorry ;_; Just life is..life and yeah. To anyone who's still reading this and such, thanks and you're awesome!**

* * *

Chapter 22: Wedding Bells

To Sophie's relief, the weather stayed unusually dry for the remainder of the month. She hobbled around the house restlessly; with a stomach the size of a large cannon and twice as heavy, she couldn't exactly go anywhere without exhausting herself. Howl had set up some enchantment to keep her from staying too long in the flower shop, and though with concentration she'd be able to break through it, it was hard to get her mind focused.

Martha was around quite often, giving Sophie a chance to coo over Ivy and enjoy the company of someone other than Howl, Rose, or Calcifer.

Lettie also visited on a regular basis. Her wedding was fast approaching, and with it came a ridiculous amount of stress from her sister. She was, to put it lightly, freaking out about it, and agonizing over every last detail. Sophie had a feeling everything would be fine, but Lettie seemed determined not to see reason.

"They're both magic, for heaven's sake!" she remarked to Calcifer one evening, after Lettie had stopped by to pour out her worries for the seating arrangements. "Can't she for one minute remember that?"

Calcifer, of course, wasn't of much help. A truth universally acknowledged is that a fire demon is never a good consultant for advice on marriage, unless one wants ideas for how _not _to successfully wed.

But despite Lettie's worries, the wedding drew closer and closer, until Sophie suddenly found it looming the next day.

"Hard to believe, isn't it?" she said to Rose, who was thumbing through a treatise on the magical properties of dandelions.

Rose shrugged. "I'm glad it's almost here. After a while Lettie's whining got on my nerves." She flinched, as if realizing what she'd said. "Not to be rude, I mean. I just-"

Sophie laughed. "No, I know exactly what you mean."

* * *

The day of the wedding dawned bright and cold, though its brightness came not from the sun but from the white clouds covering the sky in all directions. Sophie didn't think to be worried by them—her mind was occupied with getting through the day.

She shimmied into the dress Martha had given her for the occasion, a violet gown she'd had while pregnant with Ivy. It was a squeeze, but thankfully she fit. When she emerged into the hallway, the bathroom door was shut tight. The sound of faucets running told her Howl was getting ready as well.

"_Do_ try not to outshine the groom," she called through the door. "Or the bride, for that matter."

That earned her a chuckle, and she smiled as she headed downstairs. Rose was in the kitchen, buttering a slice of bread. She appeared to be ready for the wedding already.

"Quite a day ahead of us," Sophie remarked, grabbing some bread for herself.

Rose nodded. "I hope all of Kingsbury hasn't been invited..." she muttered.

Sophie almost groaned at the thought. "They do know a lot of people, don't they? I doubt it will be that crowded, though. The building where it's being held is actually quite small."

Rose smiled in relief and took another bite of her toast.

Howl swept into the room, looking entirely too dressed-up, even in comparison to the latest fashion trends for Ingary's nobility. Which were, for lack of a better term, almost ridiculously illustrious.

Sophie stared blankly at him, then rolled her eyes. "For a second there I'd forgotten that it isn't actually _your_ wedding, Howl."

He turned up his nose and smirked. "Say what you like. A wizard must keep up his appearances , you know." He slid into a chair and eyed Sophie's breakfast.

"Got any more toast?"

"Oh, yes, but you want to _keep up appearances, _right? I wouldn't want you getting food in your teeth, or unpleasant breath."

Howl withered as Rose stifled a laugh and Sophie smiled innocently.

Yes, it was going to be quite a day.

* * *

"I can't believe you, Howl!"

The sky above Kingsbury was dark and heavy, but Sophie paid it no mind. She was far too focused on raging at her husband – and, of course, getting to the wedding in time.

"You just _had_ to lock yourself into the bathroom for another thirty minutes," she huffed angrily.

Howl made a sound of protest. "It wasn't that long, I assure you! We'll be fine, we've still got...thr—_two _minutes left. Relax, dear."

She rolled her eyes and kept moving. The streets weren't busy for the most part, and they were able to weave through any crowds, but they could only move so fast as their feet were willing to take them. Running full-speed would only bring disaster, Sophie knew, and with the baby weighing her down it felt like her legs were submerged in an unyielding jelly.

After what seemed like an eternity of speed-walking, she, Rose, and Howl slipped into the building where Lettie and Suliman were to be wed. The chamber was already mostly full, and was mostly silent apart from a few whispered conversations.

They slipped into a bench in the back, just as music began, seeming to come from nowhere and everywhere at once. The first of Suliman's enchantments. She glanced over at Howl, who was nodding his approval.

It was not to be a complicated ceremony, as was Lettie's insistence, so it started right off with the groom walking down the aisle. He looked nervous, though in a way that showed how happy he was to be there.

Next came Lettie, looking positively radiant, if a bit terrified. Sophie grinned encouragingly at her once she'd reached the front of the room. Her sister sent her a smile, looking not unlike the vibrant girl she'd been before being sent off to seek her fortune.

It didn't make Sophie sad, though there was definitely an element of nostalgia throughout the ceremony. To see both her sisters married was a strange experience. It didn't feel like it had been so long ago when she was pulling them off each other as they fought over childish toys or snacks.

When the couple had said their vows and kissed, Sophie followed them out of the building with the rest of the guests. The reception was being held at a restaurant Suliman had rented out for the day.

They were halfway there when a pleased voice cried out, "Look! Snow!"

Hands reached out to catch the tiny snowflakes, but Sophie could only grip Howl's hand in fear. _No_. This was bad, very bad.

Winter's first snow.

The manticore was coming.

* * *

**DUN DUN DUN**

***evil laughter I think yes***

**Hopefully I'll continue writing, and have the next chapter up soon. **

**Next one is the last, aside from the epilogue! **

**Hope you enjoy, and feel free to review! :D (if you do, you get eternal glory, you know)**


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